Kingdom: All For One
by boidwoik
Summary: Out of time and a past built on lies. Link failed to kill Gannondorf, so the goddesses sealed Link and Gannon's soul away to stop Gannon's destruction. Link awakens 1,000 years later and no one knows he failed. The hero must now work with the Zelda of this age to lock away Gannondorf's soul forever. Little do they realize the sacrifices they'll make and the losses they'll suffer.
1. Hero, Resurgence

Chapter I: Hero, Resurgence

Is this what if felt like to be dead? Does anyone really know what death feels like? Cold, lonely, full of regrets and wistful longings – or is it just a constant state of peaceful slumber? Can anyone really consider it peaceful?

Not a hint of light scratched the dimness of the surroundings. This strange ray of black seemed to stretch for miles like an empty voice. Not only echoed an absence of light but an absence of sound and touch and taste, with only the profound scent of roses lingering in the air; the same lingering scent for as long as he could remember.

This dark sanctuary portrayed uncertain tranquility, unknowing the different between a dream or reality. It was like sleeping while being aware of the state of slumber. However, for the first time in who knew how long, distant mumbles echoed into the void but words couldn't be made clear. Even the scent of roses grew stronger, almost unbearable. It was as if reality was finally overthrowing the dream realm.

Suddenly, a dull light began to emerge in the dark distance, and the chosen hero realized he was awake yet still sleeping. Sleeping, could he even call it? He could feel his eyes squint at the light and his naked hand stretched from his body, grasping for the alien glow. The glow suddenly became waves of light moving beside his vision, everything moving at a rapid speed, and a cold wind beat his face. No, the light wasn't growing, he was moving towards it. His heart beat at a rapid pace. Faster, faster. His brunette bangs whipped with the wind and the light shined with such intensity he was forced to shield his eyes. A dry lump stole the back of his throat, unable to breathe against such rising anxiety. The mumbles stopped long ago and the scent of roses vanished. What was happening? Where was he going?! It was all happening so fast; he was going to crash into the light.

"Awaken, brave hero."

An elegant voice called him. Abruptly, everything fell still and the black dispersed to white. No scents, no sense of space, no sound. Except for this voice.

"Link, Wielder of Courage, it is your time to rise again into this unfamiliar world of Hyrule. I've let you sleep for far too long, so now you must awaken, brave hero…"

Within an empty stone room lit with flickering torches rested a stone bed adorned with a delicate blanket. While no person stood in the room, a lone golden seed rested on the pillow of the bed and enjoyed the company of roses. Drips of water trickled from the ceiling cracks due to the misty showers of early dawn and splattered against the golden seed's surface. The small seed vibrated at each dribble, water sliding off its skin, until the seed began to glow. Equally as bright as the light from the hero's vision, the dim room was consumed with this eerie glow until the light stretched from crevice to corner. But when the light died down, all that remained was a clothed human body lying on the stone bed. This was the Hylian hero, Link.

Link took a calmed breath through his nostrils and lifted his eyelids slowly, revealing the glisten of cerulean eyes. Everything was blurry as his vision struggled to focus on something, anything. He looked to the center of an earthy stone ceiling as he lied on his back, or so he came to realize. He couldn't remember where he had last been or why or how he ended up here, but he knew for sure this room was unfamiliar to him.

The hero suddenly jolted to a sitting position and he violently gasped for air, a bouquet of roses falling from his chest and onto his lap. His head was struck with an aching pulse, perhaps attempting to comprehend the situation. Who was that voice? And where was he? His eyes darted around the empty room for answers but he was only met with stone and a stained-glass window shaped like the Triforce above a wooden door. Along with the roses on his lap, rose petals scattered across the floor. He wasn't apart of some sick sacrifice, was he?

Come to think of it, he could hardly remember anything that happened before this moment. Maybe he died and here he was waking in his bed in the Sacred Realm. Link's heart raced at a rapid pace. He wasn't prepared to die. He still had so much to encounter, to live for. There were so many tasks to fulfill in the land of Hyrule. And who witnessed his death? Who was mourning over him? What exactly happened? Link had so many people to say goodbye-

His panicked thoughts were interrupted by the creak of the wooden door, revealing a light so bright that Link was forced to shield his eyes. Once his eyes adjusted, he was able to look clearly at the door. Without blur. Finally.

A tall, dark skinned woman with white hair carried another bouquet of roses and halted at door. Her crimson eyes were wide in disbelief and her mouth fell agape as she gazed upon the risen hero, and the roses slowly dropped from her hand. They hit the ground with a quiet crash and the smashed roses bounced off the cold floor only to be squashed under the woman's feet as she took a step forward towards the hero. She lifted a trembling hand and pointed a finger towards the character. "You… you're awake," she gasped, her voice almost silent.

Now that the light had fully adjusted, the hero could make out that she was of the Sheikah Tribe. "Who are you supposed to be?" Link asked without hesitation. His head was pounding and he was confused. He didn't care that she pointed out the obvious.

The previously astonished woman approached a drastic change of character and came into a deep, respectful bow with her toned arm thrown across her chest. Her voice was deep as she spoke to him, nothing like the voice he heard earlier in his dream.

"My name is Impa, leader of the Sheikah Tribe and… the last member of my clan. I'm also the sole guardian of Princess Zelda. I've returned to this room at least once a day for a decade to exchange the flowers and relight the candles." She lifted herself back to a stand and stared at him with soft and comforting eyes. "All of Hyrule has been waiting for your seed to bloom… and now you've finally awaken."

"My seed to bloom?" Link gripped at the flowers in his hand, needing something to desperately hold onto after being so bewildered by this introduction. "What does that even mean? Explain yourself!"

Impa's lips curved downwards at the hero's stupefaction. She didn't expect him to know how long he had been in a state of slumber, but he displayed much more surprise than imagined. Then again, he had every right to be alarmed. "My apologies, I assumed you'd remember. Legends say that the golden goddesses let your soul rest within a seed until reawakened when dark times should stir once more. It's come to date that your seed has reposed in this room for the past 1,000 years, but I'm not certain whether you've been asleep longer than that."

Link's eyes widened and he silently lipped the words '1,000 years.' As a seed? What was that all about? The incredulous hero looked down at his hands to confirm this tale, yet he was astounded to find that his hands hadn't aged a bit. However, his gloves were completely different than how they looked the last time he had seen them. His old cotton gloves were worn out and simple, while these had an intricate design and were made of hard and protected leather, also armored with silver gauntlets. His eyes looked up and down his body, studying everything he was wearing. He was dressed in the same green tunic fashion, only now upgraded to fit this new apparent time. Link reached up and patted his head, relieved at the familiar hat on lying on his hair. At least that was the same.

Impa cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "Our people have eagerly anticipated your reawakening. Your seed sat in this temple for as long as anyone can remember; our guardians stood long days and nights to protect you. We've tried waking you before, planting your seed, watering it. How silly to think anything might have worked, but it all failed." She hid a chuckle behind her armored hand until her mood sunk again and she pressed her eyelids close only for a moment. "During your slumber, ultimate peace has been marked across the land with rarely any signs of danger. Your awakening must mean that trouble is brewing somewhere across the land. The Hylians believed the goddesses trapped your spirit inside this seed only to rise in times of our dire need, and now here you are. That's all I can offer you on that subject."

Link's eyes flickered at the ground in slight panic. This had to be a joke they were playing. He could hardly contain his laughter of insanity as he slid his legs to the side of the bed. "I don't believe a word you're saying. I bet this is just some big prank; some form of payback for all the jokes I've played in the past. I woke up thinking I was dead and now I'm told that I've been a seed for the past thousand years? Yeah, right!"

However, as his feet touched the ground he realized he couldn't carry himself and his legs collapsed beneath him. No, this wasn't right. They were completely consumed in static numbness, like… they hadn't been used in years. Link took an airy breath and glared at the Sheikah, his eyebrows creased in frustration. "You told me you were Impa, the sole guardian of Princess Zelda? That's impossible! _I'm_ her guardian!"

But he was swayed by the dark truth revealed in Impa's stern eyes. Her footsteps echoed against the walls as she approached the hero and kneeled in front of his collapsed body. While he wasn't frail or boney, he wouldn't have the strength to stand on his own. At least not for a while. Cautiously, she offered a hand. "I can only help you make sense of things if you come with me."

Link's eyes glistened at the offered hand. Was this real at all? No, of course it was just some dumb prank. "This is one cruel and convincing joke," Link silently snickered to himself with uncertainty and took her hand. "Not that she can fool me easily. I'll get her back for this one."

Impa said nothing as she lifted the hero's arm over her shoulder. Together, the two exited the stone room for the last time in their lives.

The two walked into the next room and down a wide corridor. On the walls were faded paintings of Hyrule Castle, built and rebuilt, and portraits of unrecognizable kings and queens and royal families. Link couldn't help but be consumed by the strange art.

"Your king and queen died long ago," Impa began, "died of old age. So did many others throughout the years. There was a diary somewhere that mentioned your body being blessed by the goddesses, but that evidence disappeared not too long after your Princess Zelda did. Your seed was brought to this Temple of Time in the Lost Woods as your resting sanctuary and your seed lied here ever since you were purified. Since that day, Hyrule has been waiting for you to awaken as some sort of sign. We've also been waiting for a princess to come to us, for one hasn't been born in the past several centuries. It was about 17 years ago that the king and queen of Hyrule were bestowed a beautiful girl, which would mark the reawakening of the hero, or so that's what we believed. It seems our hopes came true. I honestly don't know what it means to have a returning princess and hero; it's destiny, obviously. I'm worried a grave danger will soon be approaching us."

Link had stopped paying attention to the history after a while, his mind consumed with an unfathomable story. He was forced to accept a new fate. What was happening? All his friends, people he considered his family… to be forced to believe they were gone was, well, unbelievable. With a silent sigh through his nose, Link slid his arm from around Impa and made his way for the painting, his numb feet somewhat dragging with every step.

"Any way of going back?" Link's voice was faint as he pressed a firm hand against the wall, staring up at the faded painting of the royal family he once knew. Their faces were hardly recognizable against the wither of time. "You know, to my past?"

Impa stood in silence as she watched the bewildered idle, pondering the question against her tongue. "Hero of Hyrule, I have no answers. All I know is that destiny is catching up to us and we must be going."

Link's fingers curled into his palm and he shoved himself from the wall to turn to Impa, sporting a dashing smile with a twinkle in his teeth. It was unlike him to portray such weakness, so he was quick to revert back to his carefree attitude in order to distract himself from such dire news. That, or perhaps he convinced himself he was insane. "Well then, no use in being sad if I can't change anything! You take the lead and I'll follow. I'd rather not have to lean on you, I can take care of myself."

Impa snorted and lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "What a rather unexpected change in character. I understand things are different to you, but arrogance won't disguise your dejection." With that said, the Sheikah began to stride out the door. She definitely didn't expect this "exotic" personality from such an ancient and noble hero as told by the legends.

The two of them walked outside of the Temple of Time and stood in front of its mighty doors. The forest, rich with towering trees, was still misty and grey due to the early morning rain. A group of Hylian soldiers sat patiently on sturdy horses outside. It was their daily duty to protect the place in case of an attack. They gazed down at the hero in astonishment, amazed that he was truly awake. Some exchanged whispers among each other, but most of them stayed quiet.

Link didn't even bother to listen or pay any mind to them. He was too engaged with the temple. He looked up at the inferior fortress covered in moss and weeds, absolutely disgusted by its horrible state. "If you're going to shove someone into an old, crusty temple, the least you can do is fix it up a little," he scolded, shaking his head at the hideous sight.

Again Impa shook her head. "Should I be accustomed to this playful nature, or are you still upset?"

"I guess you should say I'm still in denial. Are you sure this isn't a prank?"

Impa's shoulders lifted with her sigh. Rather than answer, she took a piece of red cloth from her pouch and held it to Link. "Put this over your eyes."

Link stared at it reluctantly before grasping it in his hands. "What for?"

"Our orders were that you don't see the outside world so you can't find your way around or escape," Impa coldly admitted, though she feared hurting the hero's feelings. And by the look on his face, he was clearly taken off guard.

"My first day back and you already don't trust me? How flattering." The hero would have laughed had this been a normal day, yet he loyally obeyed and tied the red cloth behind his head.

Impa's lips were firm, and no one else dared to say a word. The Sheikah lifted Link onto the back of a stallion and jumped atop it as well, taking the reins into her tight fingers. "Let's go," she simply ordered. With a kick of her heels against the side of the steed, it burst into a run through the forest with the obedient soldiers following behind.

* * *

The group dismounted at the gate of an enormous castle and the hero was allowed to remove his blindfold. As expected, Link was threw his head back in surprise, barely managing to bask in the glory of this great fortress; he remembered Hyrule Castle being much smaller in the past, but now it nearly tripled in size with buttresses and towers and ornate columns and battlements. Those faded paintings hadn't exaggerated one bit.

The hooves of the trotting horses proceeded to enter along the drawbridge and through the archway. Likewise, the soldiers tightened their formation around the hero in the center, careful to stay around Link so that way he didn't wander off. They were warned of a predicted adventurous nature; Link would most likely want to walk around and visit with the people of Hyrule, considering this was all completely new for the hero who slept for 1,000 years. But the soldiers had not time for an unwanted delay. Hyrule had been waiting all this time for the hero to return to them, but most importantly so did the princess. Following their orders, the soldiers huddled closely around him.

Impa had apparently disappeared.

All was silent at first once entering Castle Town, aside from citizen chatter and eager salesmen inviting shoppers to their stands and a few flutes desperate for spare change. However, a green tunic and hat caught a shopkeeper's eye and he whispered and pointed to the soldiers behind the woman standing at his shop. Her long eyelashes fluttered with curiosity. "My, you're right. He looks a lot like the legendary hero, Link."

And with one rumor, whispers immediately erupted all around and the Hylians turned their heads to take note of the protective soldiers. Some Hylians crowded around, wondering what they were guarding or escorting.

Nervous, the soldiers atop their horses exchanged shift glances before making a silent decision. The man in front lifted his hand in reassurance. "This is not the one you call Link-"

But the Hylians were already in a frenzy. A sudden clash of cheers echoed into the sky. It was Link, the Hero of Hyrule! The flutes and horns of the small band on the sidelines elevated in volume to contribute to the mood while the citizens cooed and awed in wonder as the guarded hero passed through the town on his steed. Everyone in all of Hyrule knew of Link's heroic actions in the past and fell into a giant fandom, wanting nothing to do but praise him for his work. Link was wildly popular amongst the entire land. Whoever didn't know of his face, his name, or his actions was considered an uneducated stranger, but that was rare considering Link's tales and legends had been widely distributed in various stories and articles and merchandise all amongst the land.

A couple of beautiful cheering women climbed atop the crowd like hungry animals to catch Link's eye, and one was brave enough to slam herself against one of the soldiers. The armored knight gently pushed the fan away, yet squeals of excitement erupted from between her red lips and her hands stretched for the hero who chuckled and leaned back in uncertain fear. But the woman was no match and was brutally shoved down by the soldier she attacked. This jealous soldier grimaced at these actions, fed up with the hero's fame already despite having just met him. It wasn't often that the people were graced by such a celebrity. Looks like the guards would have a rough time hiding this kid.

Despite the pure energy of the crowd, a few strangers looked uneasy for reasons unbeknownst. One odd old man with a hunched back braced himself against a wall and glared at Link, wrinkles digging into his aged skin. "Do not be eased just yet," he croaked, stealing Link's ear who cringed at an absence of teeth in the elder's rotten mouth. "The hero's return only means a time of turmoil approaches us. This so-called hero… is a warning. Beware… beware the star within the crescent moon."

"What?" Link silently whispered.

"Just some holiday," a soldier replied before spewing a nasty spitball to the ground. "Not much of a celebration. Civilians cower inside their homes in fear of some rumor that a demon roams the streets on the night when the red crescent moon aligns with the sacred star, but I've never seen any demons. Not one."

Link only bewildered at the soldier without reply and then back to the old man as they passed. He was extremely exasperated that the old man would insult him saying "so-called." He wondered whether he should retort to that uncanny accusation, but he decided to keep to himself.

The soldiers now approached the gate of the castle and forced the civilians to stay back with their shields as Link and his guards entered the gardens. The gate creaked to a close behind them and the fascinated cheers of the crowd still echoed from the other side. Some of the soldiers threw a provoked glare at the hero who only shrugged in apology. Not like this was his fault.

The soldiers immediately dismounted their horses, so Link did the same. "Alright," Link huffed and straightened his hat. "Whose castle is this? Zelda sure is taking his prank far, and I don't remember being so popular."

"Prank? This is Hyrule Castle," one of the soldiers spat, but before he could question further, he turned to a group of guards in the distance, slowly marching towards them between the towering rose bushes. Immediately, he and all the other soldiers fell to one knee and bowed their heads in respect and loyalty.

Link stood dumbfounded. "What-" But a hand grasped his wrist and pulled him to the ground to kneel with the rest of the soldiers.

"Forgive me, Hero of Hyrule," this knight whispered, "but I won't allow you to disrespect our princess."

"Princess?" Link spoke without lowered voice or worry, though a smile crept over his lips. If this was the princess he knew, if this was a prank after all, then he could relax around her. "Princess Zelda?"

The marching guards finally approached and abruptly halted several feet away before the kneeling soldiers. With a salute, they stepped aside until they revealed the tall Sheikah whose crimson eyes were stern. And at her side stood none other than Daughter of Wisdom, adorned in a gown of the most elegant rose color and her caramel hair tied up and dressed with a veil. With glossy lips, Princess Zelda's sweet voice sang to the hero;

"You're quite the talk among Hyrule."

A sparkle in Link's gazing cerulean eyes matched the glisten in Zelda's. Not of recognition or familiarity, but wonder.

The ethereal beauty softly smiled at him and lightly lowered her voice, though of course everyone around them could hear her. "It's been a long time, Link."

The soldiers hung their heads low in honor of the gentle maiden, careful not to disrespect her. Link, on the other hand, shoved himself up and brushed the dirt from his knees. He knew his princess too well, and not that he was disrespectful, but he and his princess were comfortable with each other.

Link pouted in irritancy and fixed his hat on his head. "So it has, princess- a thousand years too long. I should apologize for having slept in." He now walked up to the princess and placed his hand over his heart before falling into an elegant bow. "Forgive me, O wise and powerful Highness. And you too, Impa."

Impa, who towered behind Zelda, only silently stared at him and crossed her armored arms. Meanwhile, the soldiers exchanged whispers and gasps in the background.

"You know, this is one elaborate prank. Luckily, I'm one smart guy and can't fall for such tricks," Link snickered as he straightened his back again, tapping his skull in pride. "I'm actually amazed how many people you got in on this! So whose castle did you borrow? Our courtyard isn't near as nice as this one." He then turned his head to all the different plants and marble statues in the courtyard and the towers of the castle breaking the sky. This place was unlike the Hyrule Castle he knew like the back of his hand.

Zelda fell into a change of attitude, unsure of how to take the legendary hero's actions. She masked an unnoticeable frown by his playful remark, careful to hold her perfect image although perplexed by this childish nature. Whatever little comments he made would have to be overlooked; after all, the hero was probably still in shock.

"Hero of Hyrule," Zelda coaxed softly, "this is my castle and this is no prank. I know this news bewilders you and you're in denial, but you've honestly slept for 1,000 years. Your awakening is a sign of our shared destiny, hero."

Link said nothing. Denial was right. He didn't want to believe it. Any of it. That his friends and family were left behind, dead. The princess of his past, gone. He couldn't even remember how he got here or what happened last. The corners of Link's smile twitched and slightly faltered with the drop of his shoulders. By the dismay in Zelda's eyes, he knew he had to trust her. But he couldn't. This information was all so new.

"Alrighty then, princess." Link's voice cracked, straining to keep his composure though he felt humiliated and irritated, and his eyebrows creased into frustration. "I'm here, so now what?"

Zelda's shoulders lifted at the hero's compliance, though she kept her stern guard up. "I know you're anxious to see the outside world, but I'd like you to stay within the castle walls for a few months. It's too dangerous for you to go out into the land of the unknown and we'd like to teach you the ways of our people; our current time. Will you please stay here until deemed ready to take on your task?"

"A few months, you say? Gee, I just woke up and I'm already being caged again," Link grumbled, although teasing. The stubborn hero turned away from them and rubbed his chin while taking this all deep into thought. Truthfully, he wasn't concerned at all with the matter. According to Impa and the soldiers, traces of evil hadn't grazed the surface in the past thousand years. If anything was to show their faces again in Hyrule, Link would easily be able to take it down like he always managed in the past. In courtesy of the princess' humble request he felt it necessary to be a gentleman and help the fair maiden nonetheless. However, he was not to follow commands without a price. "What's in it for me?"

Zelda curved an eyebrow at the hero's flashy smile. "I don't understand."

"You get a nice bed in the luxury of Hyrule Castle and that's it," Impa spat coldly. "It's not so much that we're asking; you have no choice. Your awakening means an evil is afoot, so preparation is mandatory. We don't even know if we have a few months to spare."

Link's chest burned with defeat and he took a step towards the princess in defiance. "Well, excuuuse me! I don't even have a say in this? I figured the princess' terms would be a little more fair in account of a legendary hero."

Zelda's eyes flickered before shutting her eyes with a grimace. Had Impa not confirmed the awakening of the hero before her own eyes, Zelda wouldn't believe this childish beast to be the goddesses' chosen hero. Whoever this man was, he wasn't fit to be the legendary Link. "Life isn't fair, and if it was then we wouldn't be in this predicament. I apologize for the inconveniences, but the least you could do is fix your manners and accept your fate."

The kneeling soldiers gasped and even Link flinched in shock, but Impa concealed a proud smirk in admiration of her strong princess.

Before the hero could say anything else, Zelda continued with the necessary business. "In the meantime, I don't want you stepping foot out of this castle. You can visit with some of my servants. I'm sure they'd be happy to talk to you or even show you around the fortress." And with that, Zelda and Impa and her personal guards strode away from the men without another word of protest. The princess had other duties to fulfill that were required for the kingdom.

Link stood completely baffled by Zelda's orders. He let out a deep sigh and turned back to the gate. "There's no way I'm going to stay here for another minute. I'm leaving!" He began to stomp towards the gate, but two soldiers stepped in front of him with their spears crossed together. Link was appalled by their sudden demeanor. "Hey, what's the big idea?! Let me out!"

"You heard the princess' orders," a masked soldier recalled. "No stepping foot outside the castle."

Link scowled and turned his back to the soldiers, already walking off. "Yeah, well… I'll find a way out of here soon enough, so keep your guard up!"

As Link wandered throughout Hyrule Castle's immense and spacious gardens, the rushing of nearby fountain water pouring into his ears, his eyes remained locked on the only familiar thing in this distant period of time. The clouds, one in the same as clouds of his time, moved slowly and freely amongst the vast blue sky. Link envied their freedom, their innocence. Was Link really 1,000 years into the future? And why was he unable to remember he events prior to waking up?

It must have been hours that Link silently wandered about in his thoughts, thinking over his past and how so much had changed. To think that if felt like only yesterday he and some fellow travelers had kicked their shoes off and were dangling their feet in the brook. Now he was stuck in the irreversible future where he was forced to follow under the law of this 'new Zelda.' It couldn't be helped, though. How or why he was summoned to this era would remain unanswered until the moment was revealed.

Amidst his wandering, the hero soon found himself placed high above on one of Hyrule Castle's walls, sitting on top of the ledge and staring over the kingdom. He looked down at all the little Hylians walking about the town. He frowned bluely to himself, irked by their strange habits. Even the people of this age walked differently.

A sudden thought occurred to him; if he wanted to, he could escape right now. He could jump off that wall and ride down the ropes and leap off the rooftops towards his freedom. But he wouldn't. Somehow carved into his heart, he was loyal to his kingdom, to the princess, to her orders and everyone's desires. He was told to stay, so he would. Link let out another wistful sigh, wishing he was back in his own time so he could freely explore his own land. Unfortunately, he was to be trapped inside of this boring castle for a few months. There wasn't anything exciting to do around except maybe talk to the princess or Impa, but they'd be too busy to converse with him. It was going to be boring around the fortress, especially having to learn about their advanced culture or whatever the princess wanted.

The sunset began to bake the land of Hyrule in a ray of gold, its golden light glistening among the waters and black shadows cast by tall buildings. However, his eyes were set on Castle Town's center fountain. It was one of the only familiar artifacts in Hyrule that remained; a statue of the Holy Triforce resting at the top surrounded by the three Golden Goddesses. He remembered passing it often during his visits to Castle Town, but this centerpiece didn't strike much importance to him until now. Perhaps he was in the future, after all. Strange nostalgia overcame him, though he was satisfied that someone kept up with the fountain.

"I presume you've been doing a lot of thinking today," Zelda's familiar voice called as she approached the adventurer. "I noticed you on several occasions when I looked from my windows. A lot has changed for you, hasn't it?"

Link merely glanced to the girl, not exactly having heard her. He let out a groan and directed his attention towards the sunset again, childishly kicking his dangling feet against the wall. "I've been bored all day! There's nothing to do around your castle. To think that I'm going to have to stick around here for a couple months! Are you always going to be this troublesome?"

"I apologize for dragging you into this, but I'm only doing what's right for my people," Zelda retorted, and Link knew she was doing right. They remained in an awkward silence for several moments, basking in the glory of the sunset. Zelda then turned away from him and began to walk down the structure. "The doors to this wall's towers are always locked. I know I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to make your way to this spot, yet I am. It should be expected of such a great hero."

"I'm not really a hero or anything," Link humbly admitted. "I was just good with a sword and fought a lot of monsters and swordsmen." He moved off the ledge and began to trail behind her.

"It's not about what you do with that power; it's why you do it. You risked your life to save Hyrule from the vicious Demon King, Ganondorf. That's why the goddesses preserved your body. She knew that you would be the savior of this land in case of another attack."

Link narrowed his eyes, not recalling having ever battled Ganon, the ultimate evil of their realm. He remembered reading about the Demon King as a child, but he couldn't have seriously fought the beast. In fact, there were a lot of things he couldn't remember. But maybe it was just a side effect from sleeping for 1,000 years and he would remember everything later. Whether he did or didn't defeat Ganon, Link wasn't about to admit it.

As the princess approached the nearest tower and fumbled to unlock the door with a key, Link gazed nostalgically at her backside. The structure of this princess was the same of the princess from his time period; even their faces were fairly similar. Yet their attire and their attitudes were completely different. His of the past was so friendly, but this princess was strict, stern. Link's fingers twitched and he lifted his hand, but he hesitated. He wanted to touch her shoulder and say 'hello,' as if that would awaken the soul of the princess he knew within this one. He craved for a friendly talk, an explanation, assurance; why wasn't his princess here with him? "This was all a big joke," she would laugh. But this princess… it wasn't her, and she wasn't joking.

After one last twist, the tricky key went into the lock and opened the door to the tower. "What a difficult lock," Zelda huffed before glancing over her shoulder, "I'll be showing you to the bedroom you'll stay in for the next several months. I hope you find it to your liking." She entered through the door with Link closely following behind.

The hero knew he shouldn't have been throwing comments out like this, but he just couldn't help himself. "I'm sure I'll like it if we're in the same room together." He even winked and snickered.

Zelda came to an abrupt stop in her tracks, and the leather of Link's boots skid against tile as he forced himself to halt so he wouldn't bump into her. Link's spine tingled when the princess' dress flared with the spin of her heels to face him and her eyes flashed up and down as she studied this so-called excuse for a hero; no, excuse for a _man_. "How disgusting for a noble hero to condescend his female superior," she hissed. "You wouldn't speak to a man like that, would you? No? Precisely, let's get moving."

With that, the princess was on her way again. Link rubbed the back of his neck in humiliation, though he snickered without care. "I'm sure a man would react a little bit nicer."

The two of them wandered through endless corridors and stretching hallways before they stood outside a wooden door, Link's said bedroom. The hero let out a deep grunt and began to stretch his stressed arms. "I don't think I'll be able to remember the long passage to this bedroom every night. Can't I just sleep in an unlocked cabinet or something?" He complained with a heavy yawn.

"I don't want you scaring my people when they open a cupboard and see a body stuffed inside!"

With that said, Zelda opened the door and revealed his room. It was fairly large, provided with a lavishly queen bed, a large chest of drawers for clothes or useless items, a wooden desk for writing, and a window adorned with ornate curtains. Despite the dust, it would be a comfortable living space for the hero.

"I meant to get this cleaned up before you arrived," Zelda scoffed in disdain, "but it appears to be that no one had the time to dust it. My mistake, but I'm sure you'll adapt. You've slept in a dusty room for 1,000 years, after all." The princess glowered to Link who slipped out a sneeze, yet he smiled at her and nodded in agreement. Zelda returned a compassionate smile as well. "Or maybe I'll find someone to clean it tomorrow during your lessons. Anyway, I'm heading to my room. Please get some rest, if you will."

"I've been asleep for a thousand years. The last thing I need to do is shut my eyes!" Unfortunately, Link was contradicted with a yawn, marking his loss of the battle. "Well, I suppose I'll get some sleep just for you, but only if you…" He suddenly quieted his voice, unsure what others would think about his request. Link leaned his face close to hers, making the princess uncomfortable. Their cerulean eyes locked and the princess' porcelain cheeks flushed with strawberry. "… tell me about the crescent moon."

Oh, crescent moon? The request was completely unexpected compared to the unmannerly first request, but the fact that Link was so close to her made her uneasy. Zelda swiftly turned away from him before he could move to her any closer. "Good night, Link," was the only thing she called to him before striding into the next hallway.

"Yeah. Night, princess," Link pouted before trudging into his room, slightly astonished. He'd have to get some answers about it later.

Link clicked the door to a close and listened to the footsteps disappear. Thank the goddesses he was finally alone. No one could see him break at this insanity. Link slid to his knees and rested his head against the door before pounding the hard wood with his fist in frustration. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. None of this made sense. "1,000 years," he growled like had in his head all day. "No, _no_." He pounded the door again and again and again, the hinges raddling with the vibrating door. His knuckles ached. Was the skin splitting? Who cares, who cared about anything? He didn't even care if anyone heard him. He needed this. After all, he lost everything.

A small crack in the wood remained where Link beat his fist, but Link suddenly stopped at a ringing in his ear. Screaming. Link's eyes popped open. A sudden explosion. Link jolted to a stand. Someone was in trouble. Flutes and horns and guitars. What on earth was going on? The noises erupted from the open window on the opposite wall.

Link rushed to the warm light pouring from his barred window, keeping him from escaping. Yet he rested his hands on the windowsill and gazed into Castle Town, suddenly in awestruck. A flood of Hylian citizens gathered in the streets in celebration of the hero's return, chanting his name and title. Glittering lights of the Castle Town's homes and flickering torches and lanterns and fireworks ripping the black sky; Link had never seen such breathtaking beauty, especially not from a town as big as this. His eyes had fallen upon waterfalls and lakes and forests and deserts and mountains, but not this.

The citizens danced with such innocence, such merriment with the music. Link's shoulders relaxed and his hastened heartbeat rested, though his eyes glazed over with wistful longing. The weight of destiny washed over him. He couldn't complain. This wasn't the time. Whatever was bound to happen, these were the people he needed to protect; he only wished he knew from what.

Link's back felt cold against the gloom of the room. He pushed away from the warmth of the window, colors of celebration dimming from his face and darkness crawling over his shoulders. Slowly, Link turned to his dusty bed. Everything felt quieter here. Lonelier. This was the life he was to live for months to come, surrounded by cold stone walls only to catch a glimpse of this outside world. Maybe to make it worth his while, he'd sneak out every now and then. He smirked to himself. Yeah, he couldn't sit around in a boring castle all day. As soon as he could, he'd sneak off into town.

And with that thought in mind, Link undressed and threw himself to bed. Dust and dirt lifted into the air, causing him to erupt in a wave of coughs. He used his hand to swipe the dust from his face as he quickly removed himself from the bed. "What a load of trouble," he whispered as he took a hold of his blanket and shuffled underneath.

Though he shut his eyes, the lost hero couldn't sleep.

* * *

 _Fun fact: I probably rewrote this chapter like five times with five different ideas._

 _Anyway, sorry for such a long first chapter. Please feel free to give me some feedback or just tell me what you think. Thank you, hope you enjoyed!_


	2. Something to Prove

**Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback so far! I noticed some people were upset about Link's obnoxious personality, which I could agree or disagree. Within every good story is a flawed character who improves themself for the better later on. I actually wrote much of this story back in 2013 but I forgot about it, so now I'm doing major editing. Link used to be really rude and pervy (I thought it was funny at the time), but I changed him a lot so he could be more likable. He's still going to be somewhat obnoxious for a while, _so I'm sorry_. I want Link and everyone to be likable, so please keep leaving feedback! I want to improve the story the best I can for my readers.**

Chapter II: Something to Prove

An entire month had passed since Link arrived at the castle. In the meantime, he made small talk with the maids and servants who admired his bravery and battles, or he read books of the past or articles of the present. His days were slow, but his nights were full of adventure. Often he snuck into the town for some midnight fun and slept his days away. However, little did Link know that his lessons would finally arrive.

"The princess has informed me to wake you! Get up, Link! Do you want to be late on the first day?!" A nasal-like voice whined. A small and fragile man stood next to Link's bed, sticking his hooked snooty nose as high in the air as possible.

Link huffed and threw his pillow over his head, doing whatever it took to block out the character's obnoxious noise. "I was never woken this early in my village no matter how much work needed to be done," Link complained, although his complaints muffled beneath his pillow. He stubbornly rolled away from the man and threw the covers over his head as well. "Ever since I came to this castle I've had nothing but trouble. I never should've woken up!"

The servant placed his hands on his fragile hips and pouted. "Too late now, isn't it?" He didn't expect and answer.

With a clap of his hands, two loyal soldiers marched into the room and seized Link's ankles and dragged him onto the floor. The hero hit the ground with a thud and growled as he looked up at the servant, who only glimpsed a snicker and tugged on his dark moustache.

"Forgive me, but I had to wake you up somehow." The butler turned on his heel and began to skip out the door without Link's consent. The two soldiers obediently followed behind. "You've been here for a month already and now look at you, you're spoiled with sleep. The private session will be held in the courtyard today so you'll be able to focus one-on-one with your teacher. I'll be in the hallway if you need help finding directions." And with that said, he shut the door behind him.

Link forced his tired body to a stand and stretched, followed by an elongated yawn. His first day of freedom after being trapped in a seed and he's already put to work. He couldn't even image what he'd be late for.

" _Do you want to be late on the first day?!"_

The servant's piercing remarks rang in Link's ears. There was no use in another scolding. With a heavy sigh, he immediately began to dress himself in his new tunic, feeling the unfamiliar armor and leather against his skin. He then proceeded to groom himself and dash out of the room. Now he had to find the courtyard. Unfortunately, he hadn't memorized the castle's map or any of its locations, not that he was given enough time to look at anything, anyway. It would be impossible finding the courtyard at this point.

A sudden obnoxious titter erupted from behind and Link whirled around to see that same pesky servant sneering at him. The stubby-legged butler turned away from the student and began to haughtily stride down the corridor, his long nose glued to the ceiling. "Follow me," he whistled, his feet pattering on the ground.

Link rolled his eyes and let out a groan.

In a matter of minutes, Link was lead outside into the refreshing courtyard. The glimmering, peaking sun bestowed a warm and refreshing light onto their shoulders while the fresh breeze gently swayed the courtyard's garden flowers back and forth. The hero didn't have time to absorb the nature's beauty preliminary to a desk being set before him and forced to sit down.

Not even moments passed when a chalkboard rolled into his vision of the garden and out stepped a professional-looking servant who was no doubt to be his teacher for the next several months. Fastened to his fine attire was a fancy nametag with a sloppy hand-written name, and the board was just as unreadable as well.

The professor was quick to begin his lesson about the faded monster drawn on the chalkboard, not even bothering to introduce himself. It almost didn't seem fair with how rapidly the lesson was going by and Link was having trouble absorbing it all, but Hyrule was on a short schedule with this "dark presence" approaching, so there wasn't any time for pauses. All that Link could do was obediently pay attention.

It wasn't long before Link was practically falling asleep. His elbow rested on the table and his chin was buried in the palm of his hand and he could barely force himself to hold open his eyes. Nonetheless, this professor paid no mind to Link's ill behavior and simply ignored the fool, proceeding in completing the lesson. During his passing, the student eventually fell asleep, only to be awakened with the sudden cry of " _do you even care that Hyrule is on the verge of turmoil?!_ "

But Link didn't hear the question. Upon his startled awakening, he noticed on the far-left wall above an elegant figure who strolled gracefully accompanied by her royal guards. It was Princess Zelda, and it appeared to be that she was taking a walk. The sun was now high overhead and Link was fed up with these lessons. Completely disregarding the professor, Link immediately jumped from his seat and raced to the towering wall, waving his arms around to grab the princess' attention. "Hey, princess!" He cheered with a friendly smile.

Zelda came to a halt on the wall and glanced down at the hero who stood a good several feet below her. "Link? What are you doing? You should currently be engaged in your lessons."

Link ashamedly scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "I'll learn the rest of it tomorrow. These lessons are boring. Don't you have anything else better for me to do, like sword training or something? That's all I'm good at."

Zelda neared the edge and now glared at him, tired of having to put up with this folly. The sun behind her figure nearly blocked out her facial expression. "How are you to defeat the threat approaching if you don't know how to fight it?"

"You don't even know what we're fighting! You just know, or _assume_ , that something is coming!"

"The later lessons will teach you of every monster that the previous heroes have defeated, which will bestow you the knowledge on how to defeat them. That way when whatever creature arrives you will be able to easily dispose of them. Trust my orders. When you're done with the lessons, you may proceed in your training." She took a deep breath, not wanting to lose the preservation of her usually collected nature. "I know it's frustrating, but time will pass sooner than you think."

Link let out a stubborn sigh that was clearly audible to the princess' ears. "I think you should trust me instead and let me train. I was able to defeat all those monsters _and Ganon_ and I can do it again!" Link spun around on his heel and began to march away, opposite in the direction of where his lessons were being held.

"Link!" Zelda growled from her spot and inched closer to the edge, trying to reach the imbecile's attention. "Link, those monsters were much weaker. They're not near as strong as what the legendary heroes of the past faced! We're not expecting minor enemies! Link! Return to your lessons! Don't you dare disobey the princess!" Now Zelda's own stubbornness was getting the best of her and she didn't care how her immaturity clashed. She just wanted Link to do as he was told. "Link, quit being foolish!"

As Zelda grew more and more aggressive, she inched more and more near the edge, finally leaning over the stone rail. Some of the guards in the back became tense, wondering if it was safe for her to be so close to the edge. "Princess, maybe you want to take a few steps back," one of them warned.

But his heeding went disregarded, for the princess leaned over the edge just enough so that her foot slipped from underneath her. A piercing scream escaped her lungs as she plummeted for the earth. Some of the soldiers raced to grab her feet, but they were a hair too late.

Instinctively, Link immediately whipped around and dashed towards her direction. He saw the princess falling at a rapid pace and knew there wasn't much time to spare. Link leapt onto one of the garden's hedges, lunged onto a tree's thin branches and used it as a leverage to thrust himself into the air. With the distance closing between them, the hero threw his shielding arms around Zelda's body and held her close to his chest so he could land safely. The hero moved his legs in front of him so he wouldn't hit his head and shoved his feet against the wall and kick flipped himself back into an upright position where he then fell to the ground and landed firmly on his feet.

Everyone was silent at this course of action, having never expected such a predicament to occur. Link gently set Zelda down on her unstable feet and flaunted a boastful smile. "Are you going to let me train, now?"

* * *

A couple days had passed since that incident and Link was now being escorted into Faron Woods for a special training session. It wasn't really considered a training session, but more so just to see how well he would be able to battle since his 1,000 year slumber. Unfortunately for him, he again had to be blindfolded as the group traversed across Hyrule Field in case he would escape.

Several of Hyrule Castle's finest soldiers surrounded Link on their horses just in case of an attack so that they would be able to easily guard the hero. These were the same soldiers who were given the task of protecting Link inside the Temple of Time. Not only was Link accompanied by the group of warriors, but by Impa as well. Link and Impa shared a horse together just like they had on their way to Hyrule Castle.

"Link, are you still awake?" Impa asked as they reached the outskirts of the woods. The hero snorted but said nothing in reply. "Good. We've arrived at Faron Woods. You may step down from the stallion, now."

Link did as he was told and carefully slid off the horse and removed his blindfold. "Alright, so what am I going to do here?"

Impa also stepped down from the steed and the other soldiers did as well, although they portrayed obvious tension when doing so. "We're on a mission to find a few demons for you to fight. I only wish to see where your combat skills are so that I know where to start."

"Where to start with what?" Link complained, although already knowing the answer.

"Your training-"

"I don't need training," Link protested with a twinkling eye as he pointed to himself with his thumb. "I know how to fight. I should be able to train by myself."

Impa took a deep and frustrated breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You may have been the greatest swordsman of your time, but fighting style has well improved since that age. You couldn't possibly expect to defeat one of these soldiers with the current combat skills you possess."

"Who says I can't?"

"Did you not hear me?" Impa retaliated, pointing her long finger at the soldiers behind her. "These men have a more advanced skill set than you do. If you'd like to try your luck at battling one of them, then offer up your strength. Otherwise, I don't think you have what it takes in the state of being you're in."

Link flashed a momentary glare, but he almost instantly returned to his laid back nature. The hero boasted his glimmering teeth in a wide and confident smile. "I'll challenge any of you soldiers right now," he hollered with his arms placed firmly on his hips. "Just give me a sword and a shield and I'll be glad to show you what the legendary hero is made of. After that, I'll use the rest of that strength to slice into any demons that cross our path!"

All of the challenged soldiers remained in a period of silence. It was true they were the best of the best in the kingdom of Hyrule, but who they stood before was a legendary warrior who wielded utter strength in the ways of the sword. These soldiers honestly never battled anything aside from other Hylians, while the hero had battled all sorts of monsters and Ganondorf, not to mention that this hero's descendants had also demolished demons of unbelievable power and size. It would be foolish to think that any of them even stood a chance against Link, so they meekly turned their gazes to the floor in retaliation of a sword battle with the hero.

Link smirked in triumph and turned to face away from the crowd. "As I thought. You boys might as well go home right now and save yourself from a few scrapes and bruises!"

"Enough," Impa ordered. Her narrow eyes scanned the neighboring troops, deeming who would serve most as a challenge to the arrogant imbecile. Her crimson vision landed on a well-built soldier with pulsing muscles and a firm chest. His name was Eagus and he undoubtedly held the skills necessary to defeat that gloat of a hero and shut him up for good. "Eagus," Impa started with a point towards the solid soldier. "Ready your weapons and take forth towards your enemy. I want you to prove to the hero what you're capable of."

Eagus obediently obeyed the Sheikah and stepped forward, readying his weapon. Despite his inner fear of losing face in front of his comrades, he held a friendly and welcoming smile specifically for the ancient warrior. "I'm honored to take part in such a noble fight with the legendary hero."

Link's eyes flickered at the sound of unexpected kindness, so he gently nodded and lightly smiled in return. "May the best man win."

The hero was handed a sword and shield to defend himself with, but was quite taken back by their form. The shield was heavy, probably to better hold against enemy weapons, while the sword was light and easy to maneuver, unlike his swords from the past. Link swung it a few times in the air, becoming familiar with it. It wasn't hard to control at all, but it felt a little uncomfortable considering its density. He'd get used to it, though.

Link smirked and looked up at the heavy opponent. Eagus was clutching tightly onto the steel blade. It was almost amusing, but in a way Link felt sort of guilty for challenging these soldiers. They were all at a disadvantage against a hero with such skill, but it suddenly occurred to him how much he could hurt these soldiers. To inflict pain on someone was the least of Link's desires, especially one who was on his side. However, Link hadn't held a sword in centuries and maybe he was a little rusty. If anything, the soldier would at least have a little luck in this sword battle.

The two stood across from each other in the open space, the remaining warriors standing back at a good distance. Link and his opponent stared at each other, waiting for the other to strike. It seemed as if they stood forever planning out their strategy when Eagus suddenly raced towards the hero. He let out a mighty yell as he clashed his steel sword against Link's. Eagus was much stronger than Link, his mighty sword shoving down on the hero's. As their glimmering blades scraped against each other and inched towards the hero, Link hastily jumped back and watched Eagu's weighty sword strike the dirt. In an instant, the lightning speed Link rolled around the heavy man, came to his feet and pointed his blade to the commander's back. He could jolt forward and stab Eagus in the spine. At that, the battle was over.

The crowd of soldiers laughed and clapped in amusement. Impa, of course, remained silent amid all their pointless cheering. Such a simple battle couldn't be admired. She was still waiting to see what would happen next.

Eagus was far from amused compared to the rest of the soldiers. His temper was boiling, which was strange considering he usually held a calm mask. He turned back to Link and his familiar smile had been replaced with a frown. "I want a rematch," he demanded, clinging the hilt of his blade tighter than earlier.

Link only shrugged and smirked.

Again the two stood at a distance from each other. By the looks of it, this was no longer a friendly match. Eagus was both mortified and enraged having lost a battle so easily, but what did he expect from such a legendary hero? A loss, of course, but not like that. The soldier glared at the opponent who only smiled back. Link was far too carefree to feel anxious or angry. Besides, he won the last battle so he had nothing to worry about. Eagus, on the other hand, was speaking about his own reputation. He was undefeatable up until this point. Now he understood why so many of the other soldiers hadn't taken a liking to Link; they were all jealous, not to mention fed up by the stranger's cocky attitude. He wondered if Link even knew he was so detested. Whether or not the enemy was aware, it didn't matter. This was the battle that would redeem Eagus from such a low defeat.

The soldier let out a growl and a yell before charging at the hero for a second time. He stretched his sword behind his body and then swung towards Link. He barely missed the hero by a hair, and the sword scarcely slipped under the boy's nose. Link back flipped away and landed on a bush. However, the hedge was completely unsteady, causing Link to lose his balance and fall into the hedge. The soldier sneered as he lifted his weapon above head and brought it down towards Link, although not intending to strike or kill him. Link first blocked with his shield, causing Eagus to retract slightly. The calm hero then grabbed the branches he lied on and pushed himself forward into the warrior, his feet ramming into the heavy man's chest. This led the warrior to stumble back a bit before regaining his balance.

Link leapt out of the bush and sped for the distracted man. His sword instantly clashed against Eagus' blade, and they began to strike every which way in attempt to hit the other. Their swords hit diagonally, horizontally, vertically, even in a stabbing motion, yet neither one of them managed to get a hit. They were both growing tired of this, constantly moving towards and away from each other, so the two finally jumped back to catch their breath and lock eyes, full of determination.

In a rush of panic, the heavy warrior raced for the hero once more, bearing his shield in front of himself. Link slashed his sword against the shield, though it did him no use and he staggered backwards. Eagus started moving towards Link, shoving his shield against the hero in hopes of trapping him against a tree. This plan worked; the commander was able to swing his mighty sword at the cornered boy, but Link ducked all too quickly and Eagus' blade stuck itself into the trunk of the tree. Link was already at Eagus' backside by the time the soldier was able to free his sword and turn around. They glared at each other for a moment until Eagus came to the realization that he lost with Link's blade aimed firmly at his chest. With a heavy and disappointed sigh, he dropped his weapons and admitted defeat.

Again the soldiers cheered, amazed by their bravery and techniques.

"Does this mean I win?" The hero taunted. Honestly, he was relieved that he managed to pull that battle off against such a heavy warrior and couldn't help but lightly brag. However, in the midst of his victory, the kind hero threw his sword down and sent his hand forward, offering his good sportsmanship. "I may be inconsiderate at times, but I'm not a sore winner. I'll admit, you almost had me for a second! You're a real challenge, Eagus."

Eagus' eyes lit up and he suddenly smiled, coming back into reality. This child wasn't so bad, after all. Maybe this fight even marked the beginning of a new friendship. His hand shot forward and shook the hero's. They held their gaze a bit before the soldier went on speaking. "I should have expected something like that from a hero. You…" he looked down and scratched his head. "You fought well, too. Especially for such a young age."

Impa, however, was not impressed. She had seen skills far better than what Link exhibited just now and knew without a doubt that she could defeat him in a match. The Sheikah was also somewhat disappointed with her soldier; she had seen better days from him. Perhaps he was just getting old.

Link looked over to Impa for approval, but scowled once she shook her head. "What? You weren't impressed?"

"Your stunts are considered child's play to the Sheikah tribe. I expect that from the Hylian soldiers, but not from someone who is to be the savior of Hyrule," Impa sourly admitted. She turned away from him and began to make way into the forest. Hyrule's hero still had to test his skills against the demons of the forest.

Link remained unmoved at these words. "You think you can beat me?" He pouted.

Impa stifled a laugh at this. The soldiers began to exchange whispers. Her footsteps slowed to a stop as she kept her vision locked on the soil. "I know I can, but I don't plan on fighting you right now. You don't need any injuries."

"Injuries?" Link pouted again, raising his voice. He strode two steps forward in her direction. "If you want to see injuries then I'll show you some injuries!"

"Don't make me lose my temper!" Impa growled, turning to look at him.

The soldiers suddenly fell silent. Impa nearly touched her face with Link's, prepared to unleash her power on him and show him what it was like to face a real warrior. However, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a pack of wolfos stampeding in their direction. Suddenly all the soldiers winced and their steel scraped against steel as they drew their swords, unsure of Impa's commands.

But Impa wasn't afraid. The beasts looked vicious and hungry, a perfect match for such a _strong_ and _noble_ hero. She slapped Link on the shoulder and immediately jolted for the trees. "This is your match. Good luck."

"What?!" The hero cried in protest, completely caught off guard by the sudden herd.

The soldiers exchanged glances. If Impa was running, perhaps they should too. All of the soldiers scrambled to take refuge on their stallions while the child stood defenseless and in the open. He didn't have time to dwell over his quarrel with Impa. Link dove for the sword and shield he threw on the ground minutes ago and stood once again with them held tightly in his grip.

The wolfos' piercing howls echoed to the treetops as they tore their paws into the dirt, savagely racing towards the individual. The frantic soldiers aimed their spears or bows and arrows towards the beasts, preparing to defend themselves and Link just in case. The deadly wolfos sped out of the thick forest and jumped into the open circle, standing just in front of their prey. Some of the soldiers moved away from the animals, careful not to get involved. One of the wolfos let out another cry and dug its deadly claw into the soil, throwing dirt behind itself. Hideous foam spilled out of its mouth, indicating the rabid nature it wielded.

One of the soldiers became so traumatized from staring at these malicious beings that he accidently dropped his weapon on the grass. He didn't bother to reach down and fetch it in fear that the beast would take his head in its jaws.

Link felt the hilt of the sword and shield in his hands, becoming more and more familiar with them. He knew without a doubt that his sword of the past would be able to slice right through these demons, but he wasn't exactly sure about this new minor blade. It would definitely take more than one hit to make its mark in the wolfos, unless he swung the blade at such a rapid speed that he would be able to easily pierce their skin. Nonetheless, Link couldn't help but carry a boasting sneer upon his lips, anticipating such a battle with these maleficent beasts. The courageous hero strode towards the animals and twirled his sword about him, portraying his able skills. Now was the time to show these amateurs, _and that Impa girl,_ what fighting was all about.

One of the wolfos fell into a deep growl as it arched its back high above its head, aiming its golden eyes and pointed teeth at its prey. Eager to dig into its meal, the pestilent wolfos leapt towards Link who immediately stuck his sword forward, and the beast flew head-first into the blade. As easy as that, the wolfos slipped to the dirt and remained lifeless, the blood pouring from its wound. This caused an uproar for the rest of the beasts and they all charged for the human at once. Link's heart skipped a beat in panic as the animals jumped for him. He rapidly tore his sword from the carcass and used his shield to block an incoming attack from one of the wolfos. It raised its mighty paws into the air and came down against the human's shield, beating and beating the steel. With his free hand, Link slashed at the other snarling beasts standing at a short distance, managing to barely cut a few of their noses.

Staying in this position obviously wasn't going to do him any good. He shield-bashed the wolfos away from him and thrust his sword into its chest, the animal never having expected a blade to move so quickly. He then swiped the sword out of the dead beast and again aimed it towards the remaining wolfos. They barked and snarled from their foaming mouths, bearing their pointed teeth. All at once they charged for him, this time shoving the child backwards a bit. In fact, the wolfos' force combined was enough to trample the hero to the forest floor. Link guarded himself with the shield and began whacking his sword through the air, hoping to at least strike one of the beasts. The only attacks he managed to land were a few kicks to their snouts.

The soldiers remained quiet as they watched in awe, all of them too boneless to help defend the hero. Eagus, however, mustered up the courage to aid the poor soul, now glorifying this child as his friend.

As he went to dismount his horse, Impa snarled from the trees and threw an acorn at his armor. "No! I want to see what he does."

The wolfos growled again and a few of them pounced on their prey, crushing Link underneath his shield. Link was growing tired of this folly play, realizing he wasn't showing good face right now in front of Impa and the soldiers. The frustrated Hylian let out a huff and used much of his strength to shove the pouncing wolfos off of him. He then jolted to his feet and gouged one of the wolfos in the skull as it lunged for him. In order to redeem himself, Link was sure to make the rest of the battle quick. In a matter of minutes, he spread bloodshed through the wild beasts, hitting them left and right and diagonally and every which way that would mark his win. They all let out cries and howls of pain, a river of blood pouring from their bodies. In a matter of minutes, Link stood victorious amongst the floor of wolfos corpses.

All of the soldiers sat on their horses with mouth agape, wondering how to react to such a phenomenon. They would have never been able to defeat such a large and wild pack on their own, but this hero was truly something else. The silence in the woods lingered for several moments until the crowd burst into a wave of cheers. They clapped their hands together and whistled through their smiling teeth, highly impressed by such a courageous battle.

Impa, however, was far from impressed. His form was weak and his movements were raw, not to mention that he stumbled. It pressed on her that Link had lost a lot of his skills while sleeping for the past few decades, and he had a lot to remaster. How he defeated Ganondorf in the past was beyond her; Link's ignorant luck, possibly. Impa knew she was going to have to train him, but did she even have enough time?

The Sheikah shook her head and jumped down from the trees, landing elegantly on her toes. She swiftly turned to mount her stallion when Link came up behind her. "So? How was that for a battle?" The hero smugly asked, though he didn't appear very victorious with torn clothes and a small trickle of blood escaping from a light scratch on his forehead.

"You're alive, aren't you?" The woman sighed as she planted herself firmly on the saddle. She handed Link the blindfold waited for him to hoist himself up and cover his eyes. "All I can say is that you're a little rusty."

As the horses began to depart from the area, Link immediately rose in exasperation and proceeded to complain the entire trip returning to the castle.

* * *

The group returned to the fortress later that evening when the sun was nearly setting. They dismounted in the courtyard and were greeted by Princess Zelda and a few other soldiers, and of course the princess wore a different set of clothes like she did every day. This time she wore her hair down, long sideburns complementing her shoulders and pointed ears, while a small tiara fastened her hair. While her dresses changed, the color of rose always clung to her skin. Zelda patted the slim gown against her legs, always kempt of her appearance.

Zelda smiled warmly at Impa who didn't look the least bit satisfied with what happened that day. "I hope he didn't bother you," the princess apologized, staring the Sheikah in the eyes. Link pouted.

Impa let out a deep breath from her nostrils and flared a comforting smile. "Not at all, princess." She lowered her voice and creased her eyebrows, although everyone would still be sure to hear her. "Link's not so bad with a sword, after all. He could use a little improvement, but I don't know how much time we have left."

Zelda nodded in agreement. She then looked back at Link who was staring at them intently. Her smile disappeared as she studied him. "Come with me, Link," she ordered as she turned away from the crowd and began to make her way back into the castle. Link closely trailed behind while Impa remained with the crowded soldiers.

* * *

 _Ohhhh, what does Zelda want?_

 _Fun fact: Link was originally based off the terrible Link from the 1980's cartoon. However, I worked to change him a lot and he's still somewhat obnoxious. I realize my mistake. I'm trying to change him for the better, I promise._

 _Fun fact #2: This was originally going to be chapter one. Link would have taught and trained the Hylian soldiers in the castle courtyard. Clearly, major revisions have been made not only to this chapter but the entire story. I decided I wanted Link to be taken from the past. (I knooow Breath of the Wild did it too. I swear I didn't copy them. I wrote this back in 2013 and by the time the game came out, I didn't want to rewrite and rethink the entire story haha.)_

 _Anyway, please leave some feedback or some tough critique! And thanks for reading!_


	3. That Thing in Common

**Hey guys, thanks again for your nice reviews! I really take them to heart *sob* just kidding. By the way, Kersplunk had a few good questions so I'm going to answer them here:**

 **Question 1: Yes, the legendary weapons will appear much later in the story. I don't think hair color has much to do with destiny in the games, but more so age. (But I could be wrong lol)**

 **Question 2: No, this Zelda is not reincarnated from the old one. This is a completely different Zelda, like all unique Zeldas in their respective games. Sorry if her dialogue is confusing! Her greeting was meant to be a warm welcome, not personal.**

 **Question 3: Yes, both Link and Zelda are 17!**

 **Alrighty, with that out of the way we can get back to the story. Feel free to leave questions if I've made things unclear! I'd like to be able to explain something or change things if I need to.**

Chapter III: That Thing in Common

Link and Zelda stood silently on the tallest balcony in Hyrule Castle and looked down at the innocent land of Castle Town. They carefully watched over the little Hylians who walked by, almost like guardians; and maybe they were. The burning sun was barely visible behind the Castle Town walls as it laid itself to sleep over the horizon, though it braved its slumber with stretching beams that pierced the darkening violet sky. They could thank Hylia for that sunset.

Link leaned against the balcony rail and stared down at the people of Hyrule, longing to mingle with them. Most often, he was either stuck in his room or somewhere along the castle. The servants were kind to him, but they were dull and mechanical, for they only nodded or chuckled in reply to the hero. That, or they held an obnoxious attitude like Impa. If anything, he at least enjoyed conversing with the Princess Zelda. She was beautiful and sassy at times, which sparked Link's interests. She amused him.

The hero placed his elbow on the balcony and his head in his hand. "So why'd you drag me up here, princess? A romantic kiss by the sunset, or are we waiting to do that under the light of the moon?"

Zelda huffed and crossed her arms, refusing to take acknowledgement of the hero's folly remarks. "I invited you here to speak of something important," she informed with a slight hint of attitude in her voice.

"Well, what about?" Link smiled brightly at her. The setting sun of crimson did well for her complexion. She could almost look like a goddess.

The princess relaxed a little, letting her tender hands lightly fall onto the balcony. Her eyes remained locked on the flowing of the fountain in the center of her little town. She almost seemed sorrowful, yet she always held that familiar gaze on her face. "How do you feel about this place, Link?" She suddenly asked. She would have turned to face him out of politeness, but she was locked onto that fountain. It fascinated her in a way.

Link stared at her a moment before answering. "It's alright, I suppose. A little too fancy, if you ask me," he teased. The hero stood up straight and now stared out into Castle Town again, although his eyes seemed to lock onto the fountain as well. Zelda was interested in it, so Link should have been as well. "I think you do a good job running this place."

Zelda lightly smirked. No matter how much effort she put into forcing it down, she just couldn't hide her confident smirk. He spoke the truth, after all. The princess shook her head in protest. "That's not what I meant… I was hoping to keep you here long enough so that you could train yourself, but you're already so advanced. Perhaps it would be best for you to train outside these walls where you could obtain better experience. You see…" She turned to face him. The sun was finally setting. "You don't belong here. I was contemplating whether to set you free."

Link chuckled. "You speak as if I were an animal." Although he uttered a sigh, his eyes were bright with enthusiasm. "Of course I don't belong in a place like this, but I'm bound to do whatever you ask of me. I could have left whenever I wanted, yet I chose to stay. I don't see what you're so sad about."

Zelda stressed a smile but it quickly disappeared. She leaned with her back against the rail now. "You must be lonely. I see how the people of my kingdom treat you, unfamiliar with how to act around a hero. Many fear you, others praise you, and some are jealous of you. Most of them praise you, but they're too shy to speak. I'm sure you'd love to return to the outside of these walls. I'm just worried that if I let you go too soon, you won't be prepared to fight the evil force on your own."

"I don't see what you're worrying about," Link suddenly snickered with a haughty expression. He pointed to himself with his thumb and slyly winked. "I'm the Hero of Hyrule. I managed to defeat Ganondorf and a countless number of various enemies in deadly battle. All of your troubles are gone. Nothing else could possibly think to harm your precious land of Hyrule, now. And if anything _does_ come for it, I'll be sure to race to your rescue."

Zelda lightly rolled her eyes, seeing that he'd yet to comprehend the conflict.

"Your sass is showing, princess."

The young lady walked towards the middle of the balcony as she straightened out her dress. "You don't understand. You can never be too careful when it comes to facing evil forces. Who knows when another attack might occur? It's always an advantage to be prepared." She suddenly turned to him, her eyes filled with desperation and her wriggling fingers pleading. "In that case, I need you to stay, Link. We can't be sure when or if an attack will oppose on the castle."

"So what was the point in telling me that you were thinking of setting me free?" Link whined in discouragement. "To get my hopes up?"

And it seemed again that the princess had made another mistake with her word choice. She pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned, frustrated with herself. "I wasn't meaning to upset you. I only wanted-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Link interrupted, waving his hands in front of him. His familiar carefree nature returned in a matter of moments. "Don't think that you could ever upset me. It's just been a long day, is all. Why don't we catch something to eat? I haven't had a bite all day." The hero stretched his arms and yawned as he began to move past the princess towards inside the castle again.

It was probably best to let the situation go for a while. She followed him inside and they both stopped in the room. "I'll have someone prepare us a meal. Is there anything you'd like in particular?"

Link started himself into a little jog, pacing his feet side to side. "Not really. I think I'll fetch something myself." With a sly smirk on his face, he turned back to the balcony and suddenly swept Zelda off her feet into his arms. He then darted for the ledge at a rapid pace beyond anyone's expectations.

"Link, what are you doing?!" Zelda gasped, her eyes widened with fear as she tightly gripped onto Link's neck.

"Fetching us a meal," he replied. They quickly approached the balcony and Link leapt over the handrail. His feet roughly landed on the roof of the tower and they began to slide down the side at a rapid pace. As Zelda clung to Link in fear, it only made the hero more rowdy. He let out an energetic yell as the end of the tower roof came closer. The hero bent his knees, and as they finally reached the bottom he leapt forward again. They began to fall from the sky. Time seemed to fall slow for the princess who had never experienced adrenaline like this, but Link felt the rush of the wind in his hair and it only made him all the more ecstatic.

The roof of the next tower approached. Link tightly held onto Zelda, being careful to block her head, and he landed on the corner of the roof with his feet, going into a roll, and leapt off the edge again. The princess let out a terrifying screech as they began to slide down the edge of another tower. However, this tower had windows that stuck out on the side. Link was careful to guide himself around the obstacles, sliding around the individual windows. It was becoming hard to breathe with how tightly Zelda was clutching around his neck, but he paid her no mind with all the fun he was having.

In a matter of minutes they were able to reach the bottom. Link jumped from the last tower and landed squarely on his feet in front of the doors to Hyrule Castle's entrance. He tittered as he set the woozy princess on the ground. She nearly fell to her knees she was so overwhelmed. Zelda was forced to lean on Link for support.

"Can't get enough of me, can you, princess?" Link teased.

Zelda creased her eyebrows into frustration and shoved herself off of him, having to stand on her own. She quickly went to fixing her dress and hair, needing to keep her appearance in shape at all times. "I can't believe you just did that!" She hissed, stomping back to the castle again.

"Relax, I've done it before," the hero retorted with a snort.

She continued to walk away as her complaints increased in volume. "You've already snuck out after I strictly told you not to?! How dare you disobey me! You're so immature! Not to mention that you'd do something so dangerous. You could've gotten us killed!"

"Well, excuuuse me, princess!" Link whined, refusing to leave his spot. "I was only thinking about treating you to a lovely dinner and this is the thanks I get?"

The aggravated woman turned abruptly on her heel and made her way back to the hero. She shoved her irritated finger against his chest, forcing the stubborn boy back. "Don't you realize that if you made one mistake, one slip, one fall that we could have plummeted to our deaths? Why don't you try getting serious about something for once and doing something normal? You always have to go to the extreme with things! It's no wonder people are so fearful of you because you're so rambunctious and dangerous and don't know how to control your actions!" She threw her arms back down and scowled at him, looking the hero in the eyes.

Link sort of half smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "So… are you coming with me or not?"

"Of course not!" Zelda groaned as she turned to the castle again.

"Suit yourself, then."

Without another word, Link began to make his way towards town, opposite of Princess Zelda who stopped in her tracks and whirled to face him. "You're going into town? Link, that's against my orders!" Zelda hissed, watching him move further and further away. She couldn't just let him wander around on his own. No, he'd done so before! Zelda gazed back to her castle in longing and then back to the hero in frustration. Why was her life full of so much confliction? With a huff, the princess' heels tapped against stone as she trailed after the stubborn jerk.

The princess' complaints went through one ear and out the other, for Link continued forward. They finally stepped into town and Link was able to gander at the breathtaking place. The moon was now high in the sky and the streets' lanterns blessed the cobblestone streets with life, but not as much life as the nightlife who wandered the town beneath the white orb in the sky. Link liked this lively group far more than the dwellers of the day. These people were far more exciting with so much more to say.

Link turned back to look at the pouty princess. "Well, you're already out. What do you say to a nice warm bowl of octorok?" He didn't wait for an answer, for he was already walking again.

"Link, this is absurd. Impa is going to be furious if she finds out about this," she protested, but there was no point. Link practically ignored her their entire walk. Maybe she could persuade him. "Whatever happened to _'I'm bound to do whatever you ask of me_ '? I want to go back inside!"

The hero stopped and she bumped into his backside. Link looked over his shoulder at her. "Technically you're still inside. It's not like you left the castle. Now let's go, I'm really hungry."

It was no use negotiating with Link while he was on an empty stomach. Zelda gave up, realizing she lost the battle. She was lead throughout the winding crowds while given strange looks from the people of Castle Town. Not looks of disgust or of anything disapproving, but utter joy. These were most certainly strange people. She hadn't often ventured out at night due to the dangers of the nightlife. These people had a history of greater hyperactivity, constantly dancing and drinking and partying and so on. The princess was used to characters of serious or mature nature. These Hylians were like giant drunk children.

Someone suddenly approached them, a small child with squinty eyes. Zelda had never seen him before. "Hey," the boy whistled between the gap in his teeth as he looked up at Link, "you're that guy who saved us. And you're the princess!" He turned his head to look at Zelda.

Link proudly placed his hands on his hips. "That we are! And who might you be?"

The little boy gave his name and the two started to mingle almost as if they had known each other all along. Zelda watched them warmly and curiously. It took her breath away that, as rambunctious as he was, the hero could still control himself. She always knew Link had a good soul and she needed to be aware of this at all times. He could be radical and somewhat obnoxious every now and then, but he was still a beautiful Hylian. She also needed to take this into consideration the people of the nightlife.

Her eyes slowly trailed around the town, watching her people dance and laugh with each other. They were strange, yes, but they were just like the day dwellers. It seemed as if Link was always teaching her something new, whether in the books of his past or his lessons of the present. She may have been the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, but there was still much to learn in her youth. Thankfully, she had the Hero of Hyrule to help her, just like Link promised he would do.

Zelda waited patiently for them to stop talking. Link scratched the boy's hair and the child gave Link a gesture-friendly pat on the knee before running off to meet with his other tiny friends. That would be the last time Zelda would ever see him up closely. She turned her gaze to Link, who was smiling like a proud idiot.

The princess tilted her head and nodded in approval, her smile barely visible on her lips. In was time to finally give in. "Where were you taking me?"

Link lead her through town as the nightlife watched them go by. Some whistled while others threw flowers at them. It was strange. Zelda normally expected these people of the nighttime to be crude, but they were kind and gentle people, much kinder than those who strolled about during the day. She wondered what made them so peaceful. Maybe that was why Link was of such carefree nature; he told her that he liked to traverse at night more often that the day. But why? There must have been something special about Hylia's night sky that glorified the people of Hyrule.

The two eventually arrived at an alleyway, walking down a small flight of steps. It was strange. Zelda had never seen this part of Castle Town from any of her balconies. It was definitely well hidden. There was a door below with a dangling sign that read "Telma's Bar." A place of drinking and dazed merriment, most likely. This place was bound to strike disgust in Zelda. She was never fond of places like this, but she wasn't about to deny them their legal rights in the castle.

Link pushed the door open and waved at a busty Gerudo woman with crimson dreadlocks sitting behind the bar. "Nice to see you, Telma!" Link greeted, immediately making his way to the woman.

Zelda cocked an eyebrow at the tight corset around the bartender's waist. She wasn't surprised that Link would want to come all this way to meet with such a heavy-set woman, considering how flirtatious he appeared around Zelda at times.

"Hey, hun. Haven't seen you around in a while," Telma answered with a gracious grin. She looked over at Zelda and her emerald eyes widened in joy. "My, my, what do we have here, the beautiful princess? What an honor to have you standing inside my bar." The bartender fell into a submissive curtsy with her dreadlocks falling over her shoulder.

Everyone else in the bar seemed to stare at the two. The place was filled with either soldiers or strong men and sleazy women. They quickly arose to their feet and immediately removed their helmets and hats, then fell into an obedient kneel or curtsy. Zelda let them know it was all right to stand, so they casually moved back to their seats as if nothing happened.

Telma reached back behind the bar in search of a glass. "I assume your Highness doesn't drink. How about a glass of water or some tea?"

Zelda lifted her hand and shook her head. "No, thank you," she replied, her voice as smooth as wind. She elegantly strolled to the barstools and sat down. It was important to keep her graceful nature apparent around commoners. She didn't want anyone thinking lowly of their princess.

Link slumped down into the seat next to her, quite opposite the nature of graceful. "I'll take some of that octorok, and the princess will too," he ordered without the princess' consent.

Telma nodded and called back to one of her chefs in the backroom. She then turned to the couple again and leaned against the counter. "You plan on paying me this time?" Telma asked with a smirk. She bellowed in laughter as Link bashfully scratched the back of his head. "I know you'll repay me soon enough. You always do, somehow."

Zelda felt embarrassed by Link's overly relaxed nature. It was an awful thing to be in debt, although Telma _did_ admit to Link paying her back. But where was Link getting all this money? She suddenly became aware that Telma was staring at her, and the princess began to feel uncomfortable. Maybe she should say something. "This is a cozy bar you have, Telma," Zelda politely complimented. She did her absolute best to keep her composure and not crack in front of her people. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself.

"Why, thank you, princess. A compliment from you is as good as a golden rupee," Telma humbled with a nod. She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with their bowls of octorok, sliding them in front of the two.

Link immediately dug into his bowl, having known the familiar taste of the beast, but Zelda was more hesitant of hers. She lifted a fork and poked into the jiggling meat. Zelda was taken aback by its strange nature, but nonetheless Link had ordered this for her and it would be rude not to consume it. She stuck her fork into one of the chunks and quickly shoved it into her mouth and down her throat. Her eyes popped open wide. How unexpected. The taste of this succulent texture was absolutely phenomenal, unlike anything her professional chefs could prepare. Her wide eyes looked back down at the bowl. It was hard to control herself; she wanted to dig into her bowl as disturbingly as Link.

"So," Telma started as she began to rinse a glass and wipe it with a towel, "anything exciting happening in the land of Hyrule?"

Link slammed down his fork onto the bar, concluding the end of his meal. "I have no idea. I've been stuck inside the castle because of her," Link grouched as he pointed over to the princess with his thumb. Zelda grimaced.

Telma bellowed another laugh, throwing her head back this time. "Ah, I see. So the princess is thinking of settling down a bit?"

Zelda choked on her octorok and quickly forced it down. "Of course, not. He's a guest," Zelda informed. She could feel her cheeks flushing with red, not by a matter of affection, but by mortification.

One of the soldiers hollered in the back. "So why haven't we seen you 'round, Princess Zelda?"

Some of the other soldiers whistled in agreement. "Yeah, where you been at? Missed seein' that pretty doll face!"

"I've been busy with important tasks pertaining to inside the castle. This is none of your business," Zelda huffed, her saucy attitude erupting. Some of the other soldiers started throwing hoots and hollers and rude gestures over the princess' quiet tones. Zelda's attention was now directed to her lap. She couldn't stand to stare at any of these foul people any longer.

"Enough!" Telma shouted, slamming a glass on her wooden counter. All of the soldiers immediately held their tongues. "I don't need any of your sass-comments around here. This is royalty you're speaking to. Get quiet or get out."

Stubborn mumbles stretched throughout the room. Link turned to face the crowd with his back leaned against the bar. However, his eyes were locked on the princess. He lowered his voice so that it became a one-on-one conversation again with Zelda, with the acceptation that Telma was close to them. "You don't get out of the castle much, do you?" Link inquired, although his happy-go-lucky nature never ceased from his body. "You hardly even venture out into Castle Town."

Zelda looked up at him, then looked over at Telma. She didn't feel like sticking around the bar any longer. She was beginning to feel most uncomfortable. "Forgive me, Miss Telma, but it's late," Zelda firmly addressed as she stood from her seat and set a silver rupee on the bar top, unsure of Link's pricey debt. She was hoping not to seem impolite, but she wanted to leave from there as quickly as possible.

It was obvious that Zelda was incommodious. Link loyally stood with her and looked back at his old friend one last time before departing. "I'll be seeing you, Telma," the hero chimed before he raced for the exit and opened the door for Zelda, letting the princess take the lead as they departed from the bar.

Zelda's pace was quick as she strolled through the streets. All she wanted to do was go back into her humble palace and sleep. She never asked to be drug from her fortress, but things fell into place that way. Her fists clenched tight, unutterably irritated from the nature inside the bar. Drunk and impolite. She should have memorized those soldier's faces! Either way, she desired to never set foot into that place again.

Link hastily dashed to her side. He looked at her face and tried to comfort her. "Hey, what's wrong, princess?" Link asked with the utmost concern, "that octorok get to your stomach?"

Zelda turned her head away from him and stuck her nose high in the air, equally annoyed by him as all those soldiers. When morning arrived, she'd have the captain give them laps. Such high ranked soldiers getting wasted at a bar was disgraceful. "I want to go to sleep," Zelda spat, quickening her footsteps.

Link sighed and stopped in the middle of the road. The streets were nearly empty now considering how late it was. He looked up to the star-filled sky, their radiant glow lighting up the streets. There was no need for lanterns on nights like this. "Don't let one little thing ruin your night. We still have so much to see."

"You said we were getting something to eat and that was it." Zelda's voice was faint due to their distance.

Link strolled forward again, struggling to keep up with Zelda. "You don't get out much. Don't you want to see what sort of wonders Castle Town has in store for you?"

Zelda came to an immediate stop. By now they were at the center fountain in downtown Castle Town and not a single figure stirred, yet despite the emptiness she wasn't about to go ballistic on him again. The princess took a deep and heavy sigh, her shoulders rising and descending. "I don't think I've been out of the castle in a good five years or so," she coldly admitted, turning her gaze to her reflection in the rippling water.

Link stopped a good few feet away behind her just in case she exploded. "Why's that?" Casually, he sat down in the middle of the empty street with his legs crossed. He could tell this was going to be a long and heart-filled conversation by the sound in Zelda's aching voice.

Zelda looked over her shoulder at him, although she was slightly taken aback by the hero's position. She was silent for a moment, wondering if she should confess something so heavy to an airhead like Link. The hero childishly patted the ground with both hands in front of him for Zelda to sit. The princess shook her head at the oddity but somewhat obeyed the persuasion and sat at on the ledge of the fountain about three feet away from him. She almost couldn't believe what she was doing, but after a long night this was definitely the least absurd of her adventure.

"Alright, princess. Tell me everything. I'm all ears."

Zelda turned her eyes to the ground. She could see a small bug slowly traveling in front of her. "Well, you see…" Zelda started, half-distracted by the wandering insect. "My mother died when I was very young, so I never knew her. I was raised by my father. He was loving and carefree. We'd always go out together and visit our beloved people. The visits stopped after he passed away about five years ago. He grew ill and there was absolutely nothing the doctors could do to save him… But it was a peaceful death, thankfully. I guess ever since he died I fell into some sort of state of depression. I haven't had the desire to go out and mingle with any of my people…"

They were both silent for a while. Link was the first to speak again; "You know Hylia took him away, right?"

Zelda was caught off-guard by the sudden rude claim "Excuse me?" How awful of him to say that their beloved idol would do something so dire. However, before she could even argue, Link began to speak again.

"She wants good-spirited people like him inside her kingdom, because her kingdom is filled with nothing but purity. That's why she took him; she only takes good people. And your mother must have been _extremely_ good, because Hylia took her long before him." He paused in thought, studying the shifting expressions in the princess' face. "You shouldn't be distraught over your parents' death; you should be really happy. You had some of the most good-spirited parents in Hyrule. I'm sure they're watching over you now and waiting for you to join them."

Zelda held her silence for the longest to merely listen to the tranquil sounds of the rushing fountain waters, but suddenly she couldn't help but smile at the childish pretension, although it was extremely sweet. She looked up at Link, but her smile quickly faded away. She didn't want him to see any signs of overwhelmed emotion, although it was a bit too late for that. "What about you, Link? I've never even heard of your parents even in the history books."

Link comfortably lied down onto the stone and stretched himself out, resting his head on his hands. "Me neither," he oddly admitted, catching Zelda by surprise. The hero locked his eyes onto the stars, as if maybe his parents were somewhere hiding behind one of the glowing beams of light. "I never knew them. Hylia must have taken them away when I was little. They must have been great people. I just wish I could have gotten to meet them first."

Zelda stared at him in silence, wondering what she could possibly say to comfort the hero. It was upsetting he hadn't gotten to know either one of them. Zelda was at least fortunate enough to spend time with her father, _and_ she always had Impa by her side who was just like a mother. Link had no one close to him in this current time period. On another note in relations to Link's reasoning of Hylia only taking 'good people,' why was someone like Link still here?

The silence seemed to linger more than Link could stand. He forced himself into a sitting position. It was time to take the weary princess home after a long and stressful night. He hoped he didn't wear her out too much. Link rose to his feet and held a helping hand out to the princess. "I'm sure you're tired. Let's get you back to the castle."

Zelda stared at it a moment, wondering if she put him into a state of depression. Regardless, he was right; it was late. She stuck her hand out to take a hold of his, but Link quickly swiped his hand away and snorted a laugh. Here they were, and Link ruined their moment of bonding in a flash.

"You're such a gentleman," Zelda sarcastically grunted as she forced herself to her feet.

"With such a boring life, someone has to keep you entertained," Link teased. He suddenly turned forward and made his way down the street with Zelda vexingly trudging behind.

"I'll tell you what. This is the last time I venture outside of the castle with you. This night has just been unbearably dreadful," Zelda grouched with puckered lips. "I almost died flying down my castle, I was unutterably embarrassed in front of a bunch of soldiers, and I was forced against my will to endure depressing confessions. And not to mention this chilly weather!"

Link looked back at her from the corner of his eye. "You're cold?" He snickered, sticking his arm out for her to cuddle into.

Zelda scowled at the offer. "As if I'm going to romanticize with you _now_. Maybe if you kept that bashful, benevolent act going I would have thought about it. Too bad about that hand swipe," she spat, moving away from Link. She rubbed her arms with her hands in a snooty manner. "I'd rather freeze to death than rely on you for anything."

Link sneered and rubbed beneath his nose. "Snob."

Zelda's eyes widened. "Snob?!" Her glare darted to look at Link, but for some odd reason she relaxed a bit after looking at Link's calming expression. Zelda couldn't help but smirk at Link's fowl attitude. It was somewhat amusing. However, she refused to lower down to his level in immature mockery so she only remained quiet as they made their journey back to the castle.

* * *

 _Nothing too romantic, sorry. I don't like to push things, especially so soon in the story. But anyway okay so enough of the fluff, things are going to get exciting next chapter! Feel free to leave a critique or comment!_


	4. Dark Link

**Hi sorry I took so long to post this chapter. I might have forgotten about all of this, especially since the personal life keeps me busy. I'm sure you all understand. Anyway, next chapter!**

Chapter IV: Dark Link

Link and Zelda quietly returned to the castle's main entrance through the front of the garden. By the height of the moon, the sun would rise within a mere few hours. Zelda was most certainly displeased by staying up so late; the ruler of Hyrule needed her sleep. But she wasn't complaining. Having summed up her night together made her realize it was one of the most entertaining nights she experience in years. The princess silently thanked Link for that, but she hoped he wouldn't do it again anytime soon. She wouldn't want the two of them getting in trouble.

As Link approached the main doors, he quickly ran to the entrance and took a hold of the doorknob. He gave a coy smirk as he pulled the door open for the noble. "After you, m'lady," he cooed, watching her stride closer through the fluttering of his eyelashes.

"You're not going to slam the door in my face?" She scoffed, referring to the earlier lack of chivalry. She didn't wait for an answer, for she quickly moved her feet into the doorway. Although she tried to be silent, she came to the immediate realization that there was no need to; everyone was awake. Not only that, but they were panicking.

Two bell towers within the walls of the castle could either signal a warning, call for a town meeting, or other certain uses. One bell tower was located at the front gate in Castle Town and the other directly next to the castle; the bells within the castle tower were ringing a tune that signaled as a warning.

The princess' eyes traced a fallen body on the floor, blood puddling around, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She spun on her heel to look at Link who just entered the gates after her. "Link, something's going on! Evacuate my people! I have to find Impa!"

Without questioning the subject, Link nodded and quickly darted into the castle. He would have liked to challenge the mysterious attackers to a fight, but he was useless without a weapon. The only thing he could do was help the servants who were in a frantic.

Zelda, on the other hand, jolted in the opposite direction. She was determined to find Impa who would tell her exactly what was happening. Many of the servants tried to stop Zelda and told her not to venture farther into the castle. Zelda briefly listened to their warnings, but they weren't very clear on details. The only words spat out were "intruders" or "monsters." Although somewhat helpful, it still wasn't enough. Maybe a group of daring thieves or maybe horrific creatures. Whatever the invader turned out to be, Zelda had to stop them, so there was no point in listening to her servants or turning back.

The princess began to race up one of the staircases just as Impa was darting down. "Princess! Where were you?! I went into your bedroom and you weren't there," Impa cried, coming to a stiff stop in front of the princess with her arms firmly crossed. She wasn't about to let Zelda pass.

"Impa, we don't have time for this!" Zelda protested, trying to dart around the guardian, but Impa only moved in her way. The princess let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't want to tell Impa of her outing, but she couldn't dare lie to her; that Sheikah could smell a lie from a mile away. "Link and I went into Castle Town! Now move aside and let me see what's going on!"

Impa only glared. Without a moment's notice, she lifted Zelda over her shoulder and darted down the stairs. "It's probably best you were absent, anyway. A pack of strange demons invaded similar in appearance to moblins, but I can't be sure. I'm sorry, but I can't let you go up there and risk your life to defend the castle. As your guardian, it is my job to protect you. The soldiers and I will get to it, so you have nothing to worry about. Just stay out of harm's way."

Impa dashed out the front door and sped into the garden, all the while Zelda constantly beat at the guardian's backside and kicked and screamed in protest. The Sheikah quickly set the princess down on her feet and fled back into the castle once more, not listening to a word Zelda had to say.

To her best guess, most of the servants escaped. Many of them headed into Castle Town for better avoidance of the attackers, but they were waking most of the Hylians inside. If they caused a disturbance amongst the people, then there was sure to be an uproar. But there was nothing the princess could do to stop them. If they wanted to leave, then so be it. It was better that her people were safe than in harm's way.

Zelda turned her gaze away from the exiting gate back to the view of the castle. She desperately wanted to know who or what was inside of there, but it was beyond her comprehension. All she knew now was that demonic beasts invaded her fortress, but what was it they were after?

Zelda suddenly heard her name, waking the princess from her thoughts. She turned to see the hero running towards her. "Link!" She called, making her way through the crowd towards him. "A pack of demons have invaded the castle. They're most likely moblins, but we're unsure. We don't know what they want, either. Link, you have to stop them."

Link looked up at the castle and gritted his teeth. "I can't do anything without weapons, but I'll do what I can."

Before he could run off, Zelda quickly halted him by grabbing onto his arm. "Wait, I want to come with you. This is my castle under attack and I need to see what's happening." Maybe Impa wouldn't let her by, but Link was more relaxed with things like this, so the hero would definitely let her follow behind. She was desperate to see what was happening.

"No," Link strictly demanded, catching the princess by surprise. "It would be different if I had my sword and shield, but I have nothing to protect you. Stay here and calm your people before they wake every Hylian in this town!" He yanked his arm out of her grip and darted for the castle, leaving the bewildered princess behind.

Zelda's eyes widened before they narrowed, clenching her fist in frustration.

The hero's boots kicked against the ground as he raced inside the fortress in search of these moblin-like creatures. His eyes trailed the stairs and doors and hallways, wondering which way to go. Trusting his instinct, he darted through one of the widest corridors and sped down the alley, moving as fast as his feet could take him. Several broken pots and vases guided Link to what he believed to be the right direction. If only the bloodied bodies sprawled along the floor were as innocent as the vases. Their crimson pools scattered along the floor and the walls and their open eyes drowned in defeat. What shame they fell so quickly, but at least they paid their loyal duties towards Hyrule. Link wished he had time to honor them all.

Link suddenly came across Impa and a few soldiers and stopped in hopes of them catching a glimpse of the beasts. "What's going on?" He asked. "Where are these moblins?"

"We chased several them away, but there are rumors of some still lurking around the castle," Impa panted in tire. Her eyes darted towards the hero, studying him up and down, and she almost looked irritated about something. "You're not going to get anywhere without a weapon." She strode to a dead soldier and confiscated his sword and shield before handing it off to Link. They stared at each other for a moment, putting their full faith and trust into each other.

"We better hurry up and find those creeps before they wreak the entire castle," Link suggested. He gripped the familiar weapon firmly in his hand and strode in front of the group as if he were leading the way, although he had no idea where he was going. Yet, everyone behind him obediently followed in hopes that the hero would lift this conflict from their shoulders. He was the Hero of Hyrule, after all, and he could easily stop a mere invasion, couldn't he?

After crossing through rows of corridors and rooms, they finally came across a small pack of moblins; three of them. But the rumors were true; they didn't exactly look like moblins, but characterized by demonic attributes as well. Small gurgles and growls escaped their wicked lips as they trotted across the hallway. The soldiers fearfully cowered behind the corner, not wanting to engage in a violent encounter with the fiends. Link and Impa, however, charged towards the monsters at a rapid pace. Impa drew her blade and sliced through the backside of one of the moblins. Link leapt into the air and stabbed one of them through the shoulder and sliced the sword down through its body.

The remaining moblin shrieked and revealed an axe that clanged against Impa's blade. She tried to oppose back on the enemy, but it was remarkably strong for such an animal. In the midst of her battle, she studied the moblin's eyes. There was something off about this one. Its eyes held a strange glimmering red light, and the more she studied the fiend, the more flaws she recognized about it. Pale skin, odd markings that barely glowed, teeth sharper than the wolfos in the woods. She was right when she referred to them as a strange demon, for these were most certainly not like any moblin she had ever seen. It was as if they were under some sort of spell that boosted their power.

Upon her distracted thoughts, the moblin suddenly made a strike towards the Sheikah's leg, wounding the poor woman. She let out a cry of pain as she stumbled down onto her knee. Before the moblin could make another impact, Link pierced the enemy through its skull. The beast fell onto its back and twitched before finally coming to death.

Impa stared with wide eyes of disbelief. It was unlike her to let her guard down so easily, yet the beast was able to touch her. She was ashamed for this careless behavior, but the damage was already done and she needed to move on.

Link wanted to make an amusing comment, but now was not time. Instead, he lifted Impa to her feet and threw her arm around his shoulders so she could use him as support. "You shouldn't let your guard down so easily," Link lightly informed with a comforting smile. But Impa only glared at the floor.

Some of the soldiers approached them from behind. One of them began to stutter in attempt to speak to the two; "We... we saw someone p-pass by w-while you two were f-f-fighting!" He took a deep breath before speaking again in order to collect his thoughts properly. "A d-dark fig-gure!"

Another voice crept from the hind of the crowd. "Link… he looked remarkably similar to you."

Link tilted his head in a muddle, blankly gazing at the crazed soldier. "Are you sure it wasn't just my shadow?" Link teased in amusement. However, he quickly reverted back to the serious note. "Whoever you saw, I'll be sure to take him down!"

Impa growled and narrowed her eyes. "Don't be a fool," she scolded, well aware of who this dark figure was. "You're going against Dark Link, a negative copy of your body. I could have sworn its existence was a myth from all the books I've read, but I appear to be wrong. You've been asleep for the past thousand years and have no idea what you're going up against. I hate to say it, but your skills are nowhere near strong enough to defeat this fiend. Besides, your power is divided without a proper blade like the Master Sword. We have to escape."

"No way," Link protested in pride. He handed Impa's body off to another soldier so he could go off on his own. "Don't you know who I am? I saved all of Hyrule! If this guy is just a mirrored image of me I can take it down easily! I know all of my weak points so I know all-!"

"I know what you're thinking, but believe me when I say you shouldn't!" Impa cut off without mercy. She seemed to gain a little more strength as she forced herself to stand on her own despite the gash in her leg. "Look at all the people it managed to kill just now, and with minions by its side. Do you really think you'll stand a chance?!"

"So we're just going to sit around and let this thing destroy the castle?! Isn't this what I awakened for?" He shouted in opposition of Impa's folly talk. Link stared at her, taking all of this into heart. The Triforce of Courage consumed him and all he wanted was stand up to that monstrosity who already slayed so many innocent people. "Impa, believe me when I say I can defeat this guy. My ancestors have, so I'll do it too."

"It's coming back!" One of the soldiers frantically whispered, backing away from the intersection. Impa and some of the other soldiers peeked from behind the wall and grimaced at the sight of the dark power. The Sheikah then made a signal with her hand for everyone to move down behind the next wall, so they proceeded with those actions.

Dark Link stopped in the center of the intersection and flickered its crimson eyes. The demon was accompanied by a menacing group of demonic moblins who whispered a strange dialect among the silence. " _They're not here_ ," the evil force spoke, its voice rumbling like whispers and wind. " _The goddess and the hero must have escaped long ago. They most likely predicted our arrival_ …" Dark Link fell silent for a moment, basking in its next act. " _Keep searching_." And with that, the dark being disappeared into the next corridor, not having sensed Link's presence. The moblins scattered in opposite directions as well.

Link strode around from the corner and began to make his way to Dark Link's previous location.

Impa stared at the fool in disbelief, her mouth agape. "Link, where do you think you're going?!" She loudly whispered.

The hero didn't bother to whisper in his obvious reply; "To defeat my negative copy."

Impa watched the brave idiot's slow progress down the hallway and frantically turned back to the soldiers and studied them, coming to a conclusion of their combined strength. "All of you grab a hold of Link and take him outside! Now!"

"What?!" Link gasped as he turned back at them. All at once, the soldiers seized his arms and legs and began to drag him out of the castle. Link struggled to free himself from his captors, their combined forces too strong for the hero. He glared at Impa in frustration and gritted his teeth. "Impa! What are you doing?!"

Impa kept her eyes in front, fed up with Link's mindless choices. "I'm saving all of us. For now, you and Zelda need to linger among the crowd until Dark Link leaves. That demon will most likely return after this day, but in this moment of time we need to play it safe." After her simple statement was made, she continued to ignore the childish hero's pleas and pouts.

The group evacuated the castle in a matter of minutes with Impa hastily limping behind to keep up. They soon arrived near the crowd of maids, chefs, butlers and the rest of the servants flocked outside of Hyrule Castle. Many of them ventured off for their own safety while others chose to stay on the princess' behalf who watched in concern over her invaded castle. Impa immediately collapsed to her knees once reaching Zelda's side; the Sheikah had lost quite the amount of blood since their encounter with the moblins and needed to repose her body. She never desired to portray such weakness in front of the princess, but it couldn't be helped in this situation.

Zelda gasped at the sight of her wounded guardian and worriedly fell to her knees by Impa's side. "What happened?" She cried in desperation as she shoved her hands on the wound to keep it from bleeding out.

"We ran into a couple of moblins," Link answered. "They're also being accompanied by some demonic reflection of me known as Dark Link, or so Impa said."

Zelda's eyes narrowed in fury. "And what are we doing here? Why aren't any of my men stopping him?!"

"Nearly everyone who reentered the fortress has been vanquished," a soldier woefully admitted, removing his helmet in honor of the lost spirits. He kneeled down and bowed his head to Zelda. "Forgive us, oh princess. We have failed you." A number of the soldiers behind him kneeled as well, but quickly stood up after Impa coaxed them out of their internal suffering.

"So we're just going to wait until he leaves?!" Zelda exasperated. "Isn't it Link's destiny to defeat any evil that crosses our path?"

"That's what I said!" The hero grunted.

Impa winced at Zelda's forceful applied pressure. "We can't defeat Dark Link now with the army it has. Do you want to lose more of your men? And honestly, I don't think Link stands a chance against that fiend in his current state," Impa groaned, looking the princess her defiant eyes. She felt somewhat relieved when Zelda finally nodded her head in agreement, but still felt it was necessary to dwell on the matter. "We're not sure why Dark Link is here. The only known thing known is that it wants you and Link."

Zelda glanced to Link who gazed toward the castle. He was the hero destined to save all of Hyrule. He was important, but Zelda was insignificant. What did Dark Link want with her?

Zelda decided to leave Impa to hold the wound herself. The anxious princess began to pace back and forth in serious thought, deeply dwelling on the matter. It was obvious Dark Link wasn't after she and the hero in general; their bodies were useless. So what was the dark matter looking for? Maybe it was coming to destroy them and prosper over Hyrule. If this were the case, then they would have to stay on their toes. She knew Link was jittering and itching to fight his mirror, but for now it wasn't safe. He didn't have any of his weapons to defend himself except for a meager sword and shield. The wisest thing to do would be to wait or flee the area. But she couldn't abandon her castle, could she?

How much time had passed? Zelda's eyes fell across the remaining servants who chose to stand by her. They were afraid, but they were loyal. Where were they to go if they wished to hide? No other area in the entire land of Hyrule was big enough to fit the large population of Castle Town. Was the only option left to stand and fight? But Dark Link wasn't looking for a fight. It was only in search of Princess Zelda and Link. The demon wouldn't bother with any of these people. Or… would it?

"Zelda," Link suddenly spoke.

The princess was startled from her thoughts. She was so engaged with them that the sudden call of her name scared her more than the threat happening. Zelda looked at him and noticed the determination on Link's face; the face that meant he would do something no matter what anyone said.

"You know, Impa is injured and she needs medical attention. There are supplies inside the castle. I can get them for her." He positioned himself so that his back was now straight, standing with utter confidence. "I know I don't have a sturdy sword, but I can defend myself with what I have. I'll sneak right in and out." Link almost seemed to be backing away already before Zelda could even approve.

She huffed and shook her head, knowing what this courageous hero was trying to do. She was growing a habit of seeing right through his traps. "Please, Link. I'm not an idiot. You'll go in there in search of Dark Link! You can't possibly believe to defeat him in this state, especially with these moblins around. If you want to be useful, head to Castle Town and get us some healing potions." She was almost irritated by Link's determination, but that's just how his power of the Triforce worked. Zelda couldn't let him go inside and risk himself. "In fact, I'm making that an order."

Link was astonished by Zelda's lack of confidence in the hero. He took a firm hold of her shoulders and shook her just once as if he were waking her from a dream. "Zelda, I can do it! Let me fight-"

"The potions! Go!" She jerked away from him and moved to Impa. She didn't care what Link's next action would be as long as he fulfilled her orders.

The princess kneeled by her guardian to check on the Sheikah's wound. The crimson of Impa's leg created a pool around her, even though Impa pressed down on her deep wound to stop the blood flow. Zelda lifted her hands and slipped off one of her long gloves. She then proceeded in tying it around Impa's injury. This wouldn't stop the blood flow, but it would at least slow it down. She gave an unsure smile to Impa who returned the kind gesture with a nervous chuckle.

* * *

Link rushed into the depths of Castle Town on horseback. Despite all the servants who retreated to these stone roads, the streets were nearly open. It was a mystery as to where they ran off to, but Link didn't question it as long as they were safe.

Link finally dismounted his steed at the potion shop and burst inside. However, he stopped at the doorway to study his surroundings. Many of the servants huddled themselves against the walls of the room, cowering as if the moblins stood above them. It was a sad sight to see, but what they saw could never be unseen.

Their eyes glued to Link as he hurried across the room towards the counter to purchase his desired potions. "I need some healing potions," Link demanded, removing all the rupees from his wallet.

"No can do," the medicine-keeper sighed, leaning on the counter. "Just sold out. There's not even enough for some of these people. I'm so sorry." He spoke not so much to Link, but everyone else. The clerk grimly turned away and disappeared into the back room. There would be no helping Link inside this store.

The hero turned back to the crowd and studied them thoroughly. Most were marked with healed scars while others were still bloodied, but everyone's clothes were ripped and torn. It was no wonder why they fled to this shop so quickly. With a deep and sympathetic breath, he began to stroll out of the shop.

One of the servants jumped from his seat and stumbled to Link's side, clutching the tunic of the legendary hero. His eyes were dilated and grey with distraught. "Have they stopped attacking?!" He cried through apprehensive breaths. "Did they leave?!"

Link shook his head in disappointment, and the servant sulked as he moved back to his seat. They were all horrified. They had never seen such attacks as these. In the past, Link was always able to hide the reality and misery from the innocent eyes of blissful people, destroying the beasts before they could even reach safe havens. The hero led everyone to believe that life would always be merry. They never knew of the threats going outside of Castle Town, and now it was catching up to them in the present because Link had been careless. Because he thought he'd have a little fun with the princess.

Potionless and stressed, Link now removed himself from the potion shop, mounted his horse, and started his way back to the castle empty handed. What was he to do now? He absolutely had to get a potion for Impa, and now medicine for the injured servants. It dawned on him that the only way to help everyone would be to sneak into the castle and retrieve the potions from inside. He knew exactly where the room was held with all the supplies; he ventured there several times. If he could get his hands on those potions and bandages and everything else, he'd be able to heal everyone.

The hooves of the horse clopped against stone as it raced for the castle. By the time the hero burst through the gates and skid to a stop in the gardens, Impa's dark complexion paled as white as her eyes and the fretful princess caressed the fading Sheikah close to her chest.

Link only stopped for a moment at the princess' side. Before Zelda could even ask where the potions were, Link answered in one quick breath; "I'm going to get some potions from inside because Castle Town is all out of medicine but don't worry princess I know where to go." He urged the noble steed for the castle, wind beating his face and pressure pressing his shoulders.

Zelda frowned, bewildered by Link's decision. "You're going to get hurt!" She cried in desperation. But it was no use. The hero couldn't hear her and was already halfway near the castle.

Zelda practically hyperventilated in sheer panic. Her head whipped around on her thin neck until she spotted a nearby soldier. "You, retrieve Link! I don't care what happens, just stay out of harm's way and make sure he gets back here with that medicine!"

The armored soldier nodded and raced for the castle, a group of neighboring soldiers joining in as well with their comrade. Zelda gazed back at Impa and sighed in frustration. Perhaps she should have been hopeful, but that boy was more trouble than he should have ever been.

Link had dismounted his horse at the stairs and ventured deep into the castle. His sword slashed through any vicious creature that dared to get in his way, victorious every time. Link was unstoppable. He was determined to help the injured or else they were sure to bleed to death.

A stalfos approached at a rapid pace, wildly flailing its blade around in the air and screeching so loud it echoed to the heights of the vaulted ceiling. Link sped towards the enemy and crouched before impact, leaped into the air, flipped over the monster, and landed firmly on his feet behind the fiend. He swiftly turned and slashed the sword through the boney spine of the stalfos. The hero smirked at his clean work, watching the demon collapse in death, and continued to his desired location.

The medicine room was close, but the sum of enemies increased. Link halted several feet away from a wide range of monsters. A few moblins and a couple stalfos. He could easily take them on.

However, what dawned on Link the most was that this Dark Link character had yet to show his face since the hero reentered the castle. Maybe the figure was too scared to go up against the ferocious Link after witnessing his remarkable skills. That was obviously the reason in the hero's thick head, and that reason drove Link into charging into all of these monsters.

He rushed to the nearest moblin and thrust his sword into its gut, then drew his sword away and bashed a stalfos in its chest. Its bones fell upon the floor while the moblin behind him collapsed at his feet. These simple-minded creatures were no match for someone as powerful as the hero. It almost wasn't fair. Like a madman, Link clashed his sword against various blades flaunted by his enemies, their weapons beating his shield and rarely his clothes. However, the Hero of Hyrule's sword found its way into every surrounding beast. Easily, Link defeated all the monsters blocking the infirmary's door in a matter of minutes. A challenge never could out-master the hero.

Link barged into the room and began to dig through the cabinets and drawers and pantries. Beyond his comprehension, none of the medicine was there. Where could those potions possibly be?

Link whirled about the room in a frenzied search for his items until he was relieved at the fully stocked shelf by the door. So many potions, all types of potions, colorful potions. The hero came to the shelf and stared at it in wonder, almost having no idea of the properties possessed by the potions. Unknowing of which specific bottles to take, he plucked a few satchels from the nurse's desk, threw them over his shoulders, and began to toss every potion inside in hopes that these potions would save everyone. If anything, he was positive that the red potion would work well for everyone, but he didn't have a clue what the others would do. While he was at it, he made sure to grab some bandages as well.

The white of dawn began to peak over the horizon. Holding 110% of the confidence since he entered, the warrior exited the medicine closet with bags of potions slung over his shoulders and made his way down the corridors, accompanied by towering windows that stalked the courtyards. No creature would bother him now after slaying them all, so he'd make a safe return. The only creature he ceased to destroy was Dark Link, his negative copy. It was strange that this thing was nowhere to be found when it was previously seen roaming along the castle. Wherever this beast decided to run off to greatly concerned the hero.

Suddenly, a dark and smoking figure turned the corner from the furthest end of the hallway, accompanied by a loyal gang of beasts. This figure was attired in clothes of pitch black with grey hair and skin to match, but what was most intimidating was the glow of its crimson eyes. The silhouette exactly mirrored Link's, and the hero gasped and came to an immediate halt at the realization of this demon. It was Dark Link, his negative copy, who stood yards away yet still too close for comfort.

Link's spine shivered as he instinctively reached for his sword. However, before he could even touch the handle, the dark spirit disappeared into an unexpected cloud of smoke with its surrounding posse. Link lingered in silence for several minutes, patiently waiting for the shadow to reappear. It didn't. It hadn't noticed him.

None of that mattered. Link had to get these potions to the injured.

The soldiers had long since returned without a trace of Link. Zelda waited impatiently outside, standing at a distance from Impa. She was too focused on the whereabouts of that imbecile. Her foot tapped on the grass with impatience and she stubbornly crossed her arms. However, her attitude suddenly lifted once seeing the doors to the castle open. At first her eyes widened in surprise and her lips curved to a smile of relief. Link, the Hero of Hyrule, emerged from inside the castle. Over his shoulders were bags full of jars- _potions_. And on his face was a vainglorious smirk.

But despite his smirk, troubled brewed in his eyes.

* * *

 _Curse that dang Dark Link. What could he possibly want from Link and Zelda? We'll find out eventually. Thank you for your reviews and questions! They make me think about everything I need to revise! Please keep them coming so I can improve this story not only for me, but for you guys as well! Thanks, again!_


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